Composting and Recycling of Municipal Solid Waste as A Measure Towards Effective Waste Management in Nigeria

Abstract

Data on the waste generated and its composition in Nigeria is lacking, this makes it difficult to effectively plan and decide which waste management scheme to adopt. A characterization study was carried out in order to ascertain, the viability of composting and recycling potentials of the municipal solid waste MSW generated in Nsukka urban area of Enugu state. A site-specific study recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency for the characterization of municipal solid waste was employed. This involves sampling, sorting and weighing of the individual components of the waste stream. The study area (Nsukka) was divided into three (3) zones; A, B, C. Each of the zones was further subdivided into three. The waste was separated into different fractions according to their physical characteristics: food waste, plastics, polythene bags, glass/ceramics, metals, yard waste, wood, textile, leather, electronic waste, and miscellaneous. A total of 161.112kg of MSW was collected for the analysis. The biodegradable and non-biodegradable fractions of the waste stream were 42% and 58% respectively. Statistical analysis of the waste stream at 5% level of probability revealed that the biodegradable fractions of the MSW was non-significant, while the non-biodegradable fractions of the waste stream was significant at 5% level of probability. Hence, effective waste management can be achieved via the composting and recycling of municipal solid waste across cities in Nigeria.