Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in Yenagoa Metropolis and Its Associated Management Problems, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract: Waste proliferation has increasingly become a serious concern of municipal authorities in recent times, especially for developing countries and municipalities. This paper presents the composition of municipal solid wastes generated in the Yenagoa metropolis and dumped in the Yenagoa Central waste dumpsite, Bayelsa State Nigeria. The character of the municipal solid waste was determined in terms of the composition of individual waste in the waste stream using average mass (kg) and percentage composition by mass of the various components using electronic weighing balance. It was found that 53.125% of the solid waste generated in the study area was made up of organic waste. Out of this percentage, food waste was the most abundant with 32.38% by mass. Vegetable waste recorded 5.8% composition by mass. Paper and Textile recorded 6.5% and 6.38% respectively. Wood waste had 2.13% composition by mass. While the percentage of inorganic waste within the waste stream was 46.875% in the following order, Plastic and nylon bags recorded 20.38% by mass of the total waste stream. Bottles, leathers, ceramics and construction wastes recorded 8%, 1.38%, 1.13% and 5.63% respectively. Electronic waste recorded 6.75% composition by mass. Metals, Cans and Battery wastes recorded 0.75%, 2% and 0.25% respectively. Finally, medical waste recorded 0.63% composition by mass. It is recommended that adequate financial provision, proper waste legislation, training and re-training of staff and full community participation in waste management should be encourage. Formal composting and recycling facilities should also be setup to enhance adequate management of waste. Keywords: Municipal Solid Waste, Characterization, Proliferation, Composition.