Abstract:
Waste management is the specific name for the collection, transportation, and removal or
recycling and controlling of waste. Environmentally acceptable management of municipal solid
waste has become a global challenge due to limited resources, population booming, rapid
urbanization and worldwide industrialization. This study was conducted to assess the current
municipal solid waste management practices of Sibo sub-urban and Bure towns in south western
Ethiopia. Municipal solid waste management in the study area has not been carried out in a
sufficient and proper manner. The result of this research had a great importance in improving
solid waste management and providing detail information about waste and the effects of waste in
the study area. Data was gathered from 137 sampled households. These were reached through
stratified sampling method. Observation, questionnaires and interviews were used for collection
of primary data. Secondary data was extracted from different published and unpublished
materials. The analysis of the data was carried out both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Accordingly, descriptive survey research method was used. The result of data analysis showed
that plastic wastes were the major type of solid waste in the study area. From the total
respondents’ majority (84.7%) of them do not have temporary solid waste storage. Most (70.8%)
of them did not have the experience of sorting or separates solid waste at their site of generation.
Regarding collection services and transportation activities majority (71.5%) of them replied that
there is no collection services and transportation activities in the two study areas. Regarding
rules and laws related solid waste management; most (58.3%) did not know that there is no solid
waste related laws and regulation available in the study area. The greatest amount of solid waste
of the study area (66. %) was generated from residential areas. The report from Gondar town
(Mohammed.G, 2015) also confirms the same results. The conclusion of the study indicated that
the weak financial status of the municipality to provide solid waste storage materials along with
low awareness of the community were the series problem that challenges the practice of solid
waste management system in study areas. In general, the municipality should involve the
stakeholders to fulfill the required conditions for the waste management in the town and engage
in awareness creation campaign to enable the people aware of the importance of safe solid
waste disposal for their environment and health.
