Facilitating Solid Waste Handling System in Port Harcourt Cosmopolis

Abstract

Port Harcourt cosmopolis grappled with a continual rise in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation. The increase is a consequence of an advance in population rise and consumption pattern. The paper reports an approximate valuation and depiction of municipal solid waste with emphasis from questionnaire survey on socio-economic status of the inhabitants in the zones that make up the cosmopolis. The methodology and procedure for this investigation obtained using vehicle selection approach centered on ASTM D5321 standard test method for ascertaining the constituents of municipal solid waste. Specimens were sorted into fourteen waste classifications of paper; 6.22%, pasteboard; 2%, plastic film; 9.05%, dense plastic; 2.73%, glass; 2.3%, iron-based metal; 3.03%, non-iron based metal; 1.13%, putrescibles; 56.3%, textiles; 1.85%, misc-ignitable; 2.83%, non-misc ignitable; 3.35%, E-waste; 2.33%, household waste; 4.88% and fine elements; 2.03%. The outcome shows an average 56.3% of municipal solid waste specimens discovered to be biodegradable. This is suitable for composting activities. Aside biodegradables, there exist, paper glass, dense plastics, and iron-based metals, which are recyclables. This is significant for providing gainful employments to the inhabitants of the cosmopolis. On the contrary, there were about 2.83% of misc-ignitable. This is suitable for energy recovery. There was a variation in specimens of MSW in all the zones that make up the cosmopolis, attributing it to changes in disparity in incomes. It is necessary for government to legalize, recycling and composting activities, which based on the waste management hierarchy process in a manner that ensures environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and global acceptance.