Awareness and Practice of Solid Waste Management in the Winneba Municipality of Ghana. 4 (1), 39-47.

The management of solid waste has attained highest importance in this era globally but the practices of basic concepts on waste disposal are often neglected. In most communities around the world, people are much aware of the serious consequences of improper solid waste management practices but the negative attitude of implementation gives rise to chaotic situations. In Ghana, municipalities are responsible for waste management in the cities but have challenges to provide an effective and efficient system to the inhabitants. The study was conducted to obtain baseline information about waste management practices among the residents of Winneba in the Effutu municipality of Ghana. The study is a descriptive cross sectional survey in which 120 people who were randomly selected from 10 suburbs responded to a well designed and validated questionnaire as well as interview. The data obtained was tabulated and expressed into percentages for analysis. In the study, majority of people who were aware of solid waste management strategies did not put them to practice. Also, there was decrease in people’s attitude towards social commitment to participate in solid waste management. Awareness on e-waste disposal was lacking and there was an urgent need to rectify this gap in knowledge and practice. The methods of solid waste management identified included open dumping, burning and burying of solid waste. The study revealed that waste was usually transported to its final destination by using closed trucks/vehicles and the frequency of collection was usually done once in a week. Effective solid waste management enhance sustainable development of any city.