Residents’ perceptions and attitudes towards urban solid waste management in the Berekum Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Solid waste management has become a daunting task for municipal and district authorities who seem to lack the capabilityand logistics to deal with the escalating waste situation. This paper examined residents’ perceptions and attitudes towardsurban solid waste management in the Berekum Municipality in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana. Using a survey questionnaire and in-depth interview guide, data was gathered from 150 randomly selected household respondents and three purposively selected key institutions. The Theory of Planned Behaviour which provides a framework for studying human behaviour guided the study. The study found that residents recognised solid waste management as a major problem. It was also revealed that residents do not currently pay for waste management services rendered to them. Strategies to address solid waste problem will need to consider adequate supply of containers, intensive public education and introduction of user fees for waste management services.