Abstract
Faecal sludge (FS) management is pertinent to the achievement of sustainable development goal 6.2 around the world; yet it is constrained by urbanisation challenges, waste management complexities, and defective attitudes. These deny communities of the plausible supply of resources from FS. This paper assesses the perception underpinning the occurrence of nonfaecal matter in FS in Ghana. Primary data were obtained from 400 respondents in four communities in Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra Regions of Ghana, using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed by using STATA software version 15. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression were conducted on all independent variables and statistical significance was accepted at p < 0.05. The study identified the following as the most perceived frequently disposed nonfaecal matter into FS: sanitary pads and diapers (38.5%), fabrics/rags (23.2%), toilet rolls (20.8%), razor/shaving sticks (10.3%), and others (7.2%). Gender, state of toilet facility (roof or unroofed), presence of container for collecting other types of waste in the toilet room, and state of container in toilet room either covered or uncovered were the factors found to be significantly associated with the disposal of solid waste (SW) into FS at 95% confidence level. The fear of exposing used sanitary materials for rituals, the use of fabric as an alternative to toilet rolls, and the desire to conceal aborted pregnancies from the public were some of the reasons alluded to the disposal acts. Education and awareness campaigns on proper SW disposal practices, appropriate use of toilet facilities, and the resource potentials of FS were found to be the best way forward to discourage indiscriminate disposal of SW into FS.
Highlights
Indiscriminate disposal of solid waste (SW) has become a global challenge, in most developing countries
Explaining why fabrics such as cloth, pants, and handkerchiefs are found in Faecal sludge (FS), 52.5% of the respondents indicated that fabrics are normally used in the absence of tissues or toilet rolls for cleansing, 28.5% of respondents were of the opinion that the presence of fabrics in FS can be linked to their usage in place of sanitary pads which are mostly disposed into the FS after cleansing, and 19.0% respondents inferred that fabrics were sometimes accidentally dropped in FS
Responses on the plastic waste compositions of domestic waste in the selected communities for the study were found to range between 21 and 40% of their total household waste; this finding is consistent with the findings of many researches such as one in Kenya that revealed polythene/ plastic materials as the dominant material among the total SW generated in the majority of households [21]
Summary
Indiscriminate disposal of solid waste (SW) has become a global challenge, in most developing countries. Vacant lands and roadsides in and around rivers as well as trenches have been used as disposal sites and for the burning waste [1,2,3,4], deteriorating environmental sanitation situations in most developing countries [5]. E indiscriminate manner of SW disposal has become a canker for developing countries and for a number of developed ones as well. Nations” communities such as Garden Hill and Wasagamack in Canada has become a problem, though Canada is ranked 24th among 178 countries on the Environmental Performance Index 2 [3]. Indiscriminate dumping of SW is more prevalent in developing countries than developed ones. In Ghana, a number of efforts aimed at solving sanitation problems have been instituted; one of these is the institution of “National Sanitation Days”; yet this has not yielded much
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