An Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, West Africa (Published)
Solid waste disposal and management is both an urban and rural challenge; however, this paper focused on municipal solid waste from the perspective of household waste management system in Lafia, Nasarawa State. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to households in eight communities in Lafia metropolis. The quantity and composition of waste generated was determined. The average waste generation per household was found to be 0.65kg/capita/day. The composition shows that 67.6% was made up of biodegradable material while 32.4% were recyclable materials. Lack of adequate waste collection system and proximity to dumpsites were attributed to causing dumping by residents in drains/gutters. Open burning is the major method of treatment discovered by the study. Finally, the paper suggested sustainable environmental education program by the state government to the populace and private sector participation in the disposal and management of solid waste.
Keywords: Household Waste, Solid Waste, Waste Disposal, Waste Management
An Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria, West Africa (Published)
Solid waste disposal and management is both an urban and rural challenge; however this paper focused on municipal solid waste from the perspective of household waste management system in Lafia, Nasarawa State. Questionnaires were randomly distributed to households in eight communities in Lafia metropolis. The quantity and composition of waste generated was determined. The average waste generation per household was found to be 0.65kg/capita/day. The composition shows that 67.6% was made up of biodegradable material while 32.4% were recyclable materials. Lack of adequate waste collection system and proximity to dumpsites were attributed to causing dumping by residents in drains/gutters. Open burning is the major method of treatment discovered by the study. Finally the paper suggested sustainable environmental education program by the state government to the populace and private sector participation in the disposal and management of solid waste.
Keywords: Household Waste, Solid Waste, Waste Disposal, Waste Management