CONTRIBUTION OF ZOOMLION PROGRAMMES TOWARD DOMESTIC WASTE MANAGEMENT IN WA TOWN

Abstract

Domestic waste management presents teething challenges confronting most rapidly growing economies and cities of low/middle income countries. This is partly due to rapid population growth, expansion in towns or cities, attitude of inhabitants to waste disposal, poor town planning and inadequate funding of waste management practices. Ghana in an attempt to find sustainable solution to domestic waste management contracted Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a giant private waste management institution which started its operations in 2006. This dissertation assesses the contribution of Zoomlion in domestic waste management in Wa town. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design and data was collected between April and August, 2014. The results showed the Zoomlion company made substantial progress towards domestic waste management in Wa as evidenced from ratings (excellent, very good and good). Several programmes (waste/sanitation module, sanitation guards, etc) were introduced by the company to manage waste. Also, yard waste and food waste/chaff were major components of household waste. Services rendered by the company included solid waste collection, street/drains cleaning, cesspit emptying and communal containers services. Substantial collaboration existed between the Assembly and the Zoomlion company in that, each had a consensual role to play. The Assembly provided funds for the activities of the company contracted while the company in return provided logistics to cleaners and played supervisory role. The study revealed inherent challenges which include burning of waste containers, defecating around communal containers and wrapping human excreta in polythene and placing it in the open. Regular waste collection, the creation of awareness through public education, sanctioning people who burn waste containers as measures to ensure sustainable waste management in the Wa are recommended.