5. Conclusion and recommendations

## 5.1 Conclusion

The study focused on the evolving SWM practices, the quality of service as well as the factors that influence the private sector performance and their implications for solid waste collection in the medium towns. The study revealed that there were no significant disparities in service quality among the two municipalities. But more difference do exists among different communities due to the difference in the methods of waste collection. The service quality of house-to-house collection practiced at well-organized residential areas was higher than that of communal collection at old town lower income residential areas. The study further revealed that more waste is now been collected than before due to increasing role of the private sector in the waste business. Over 80% of waste generated in these municipalities are collected and send to a designated site for final disposal by the private sector waste management firms. This is much better than the 2006 figure of about 50– 80% waste collection. In addition, the participation and involvement of households at any level of the SWM has been very slow principally due to the lack of funds and public education. Moreover, a shift toward cost recovery through charging all households a fixed charge for house-to-house collection is in places. However there were no mechanisms for full cost recovery to include majority of the residents who patronize communal collection service. The assembly therefore faces problems of

financing bins, providing for other resources which resulted in to illegal dumping by some households.

Furthermore, the study revealed that there were weak regulatory practices and non-adherence to contractual obligations and these consequently provided no incentives for full cost recovery and better service quality. The weak regulatory practices such as no competitive bidding, prolonged periods before upward review of collection fees and service charges, no interest on monies delayed, and delay in payment of subsidy does not provide incentive mechanism for private sector growth and does not enhance better waste management service delivery. Again, the study revealed that there is a weak institutional capacity (inadequate personnel and logistics). The responsibility over solid waste collection and disposal is well beyond the capacity of waste management institutions. They could not collect the 20–80% waste as stated in the contract document due to lack of personnel and logistics for monitoring and supervision. However, it was revealed that the involvement of the private companies in the management of solid waste has strengthened the capacity of the municipal assemblies. Yet, this is still deemed inadequate to meet the required levels of urban solid waste collection. Finally, the study revealed that there is a lack of strict monitoring and enforcement of sanitation bye-laws in the municipalities. However, the study found that the bye-laws were punitive enough but lacked strict enforcement. The non-enforcement of the bye-laws has contributed immensely to the indiscriminate dumping in the municipalities.

#### 5.2 Recommendations: emerging interventions

In order to address the problem of municipal solid waste in the study areas in particular and Ghana in general, it is strongly recommended that the policy mechanisms and strategies adopted should be holistic and comprehensive. The nature of the issues and challenges identified require multidimensional interventions in order to provide sustainable solutions. There is the need for clearly defined standards and service quality in the contract for regulating the private sector activities. This will facilitate a well-managed SWM system in the municipalities as the private companies were not abreast with these standards and the terms of the waste management contract. The study also recommends a capacity building training on waste management for the officials of Waste Management Department in the municipalities as well as the technical operation officers of the private sector waste management companies.

There should also be full cost recovery for waste services. This requires the 'pay as you throw' (PAYT) mechanism for communal collection to ensure financial sustainability and quality service delivery. Although such mechanism has failed at initial stage in Accra in 1995, it worked well in Kumasi. The success of the PAYT in Kumasi was due to the participation and creating of public awareness, household participation and involvement at all levels as well as the enforcement of bye-laws on indiscriminate dumping. The prevailing system where communal collection is free for resident is not sustainable. Also, Assemblies should to be encouraged to be responsive to effective and quality service delivery. The environmental health unit should be restructured to make it more responsive to the challenges of SWM. The environmental health personnel can also be attached to the private companies to enforce bye-laws on paying for service and prevention of indiscriminate dumping of waste. Furthermore, the establishment of recycle firms should be encouraged by the Assemblies. They can start by forging partnership with the private sector companies. Also, the coordination for waste management should be encouraged within the context of environmental education and stricter enforcement of sanitation byelaws. This is because environmental education creates environmental awareness

Decentralization and Solid Waste Management in Urbanizing Ghana… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.81894

and makes people conscious of environmental and sanitation issues. The enforcement of bye-laws is important in view of the fact that environmental awareness is not sufficient enough to ensure change in behavior. Therefore, stricter law enforcement is needed to deter people from dumping indiscriminately.
