EXAMINATION OF HOUSEHOLD SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN NADOWLI TOWNSHIP IN GHANA: A WASTE MANAGEMENT HIERARCHY APPROACH

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to identify the gaps between existing practices and the provisions of the hierarchy of waste management model in the Nadowli Township of the Upper West Region of Ghana. A cross-sectional study design with quantitative and qualitative approaches was adopted and questionnaires, observation and interview guides were used to collect data from a sample size of 100 respondents. Findings revealed that the methods of waste management in the model cannot be practiced without linkage to the roles of stakeholders. While waste disposal is the least preferred option in theory, it was the most practiced method. Accordingly, avoidance, reduction, reuse and recycling were less practiced, resulting in ineffective prevention of pollution, diseases, environmental resource conservation and sustainability. It was recommended that adequate coverage of educational campaigns and infrastructural development could bridge the gap between theory and practice