Introduction
To enhance a safe environment, the management of waste should be of most importance. Oxford Advanced Learners’ Dictionary defines “waste products” as unusual materials or substances produced while making something. Microsoft Corporations (2005) defines waste as rubbish or materials that are not needed. Waste varies in size, form, origin and physical composition. They may be solid, liquid or gaseous in nature.
Solid waste constitute agricultural waste, municipal, solid waste (combustible and non-combustible), abandoned vehicles, industrial waste contraction and demolition waste, as well as sewage treatment residue. Liquid waste as well as sewage and industrial liquid waste, while gaseous waste include gaseous emission from automotive industries and other chemical reactions. These waste insult the environment and lack of careful planning and management can present damage to human health and the environments.
Ikelegbe and Ogeah (2003) stated that in Nigeria, three institutions are involved in managing waste. These are local government council, private institutions and individual households. The quality of the environment therefore is the result of how efficient these institutions work together in managing the wastes. Each of these has their challenges which include the attitudes of the public towards waste disposal workers and financial problems.
According to BMAFS (2003), the nonchalant attitudes towards the management of clinical waste in hospital environment, which may have influence on health, if not properly handled with care and also the problem traced to the negative attitude to poor working conditions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S.E.P.A (2003) stated that waste management should be seen as necessary public services which are clean and sustainable. That waste management problem is both in the advance and developing countries have been said to reflect years of neglect financially. Poor environmental sanitation has become an endemic problem common to contemporary urban and rural communities in Nigeria. When settlement were small or few people were committed to personal hygiene including ensuring the cleanliness of their immediate surrounding indeed, each dwelling (compound) has well designated sites where waste were collected and periodically disposed off either by burning or burying. It was usually possible to keep pace with the rate at which waste will be generated because their volumes were small. However, things have since changed. The socio-economic development has tremendously increased. As a result of increase in population there has been corresponding cases of increase in the demand for food, shelter, etc.
Human activities generate a lot of materials only part of which is relevant to and directly useful in meeting man’s need, the residual is waste. This is waste generated in the process of development while there are wastes associated with consumption of the product of development for survival but people seem not to care. In Nigeria, the management of refuse is a major problem of most states. The Nigerian environment is getting worse everyday in spite of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency Bill Promulgated 19 years ago and the efforts of Federal and State Environmental Sanitation Authorities. Refuse usually does not contain pathogenic toxic materials. The improper storage and disposal of refuse contributes to environmental health problems. The burning of refuse or incineration generates air pollutants, especially smoke particles and odour. They are both harmful to health. Disposal of refuse along waterlogged areas, substances from dumps and landfills may lead to water pollution. Refuse provide suitable environment for the development of insects, flies, which may transmit pathogenic organism and pathogen when they lay their eggs in the decaying organic matter. Rats find food harbourage in refuse. Improper storage of refuse may be the cause of fire outbreak; injuries may result from improper storage of broken glass and metal.
According to the World Health Organisation Committee on Solid Waste Refuse Management (1977), the term waste refuse refers to all the useless unwanted or discarded materials resulting from normal community activities. The said refuse also includes deposited waste particles and event when temporary suspended in air or water. WAHEB (1991) stated that indiscriminate dumping of refuse may lead to fire outbreak which might lead to destruction of lives and properties. They also said that accumulation of refuse will lead to breeding of flies. This will undoubtedly lead to outbreak or spread of intestinal diseases like dysentery, cholera, typhoid, poliomyelitis etc.
The indiscriminate dumping of refuse may serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes and this equally may lead to the spread of malaria fever and unpleasant noise of mosquito at night. Atuamga (1986) defined waste as nay material which is useless and discarded. He further stated that the problem of waste in Nigeria is an enormous one and that we can hardly have good quality environment if we let the entire human habitant to be engulf by wastes. Anyata (1996) defined hazardous waste as those waste which pose a significant or potential threat to human because such waste are lethal non-biodegradable or may cause detrimental cumulative effects.
Effective and efficient refuse storage, collection and disposal
Safe sanitary refuse begins with proper storage. This is usually the responsibility of the user or owner of the premises at which the refuse is produced. Atuenya (1985) pointed the basic element of sanitary refuse storage with the following;
- Providing an adequate numbers and appropriate type of storage containers.
- Keeping the storage containers clean and in good repair.
- Placing container in a convenient location for the user.
- Maintenance.
Atuanya further said that refuse containers should be tightly closed, structurally strong and easy to channel. The most common type of container is the thirty gallon galvanised steel can be used. However , several other types of containers such as plastic barrels, heavy paper sack. The sack and bags are single used containers which are discarded with the refuse. Large steel bulk storage bins are in common use in hospital, industries, etc.
Atuaya (1986) observed that to restore a preparation of refused includes the separation and special handling of certain waste. He said garbage which is wet and attract insect and rats should be drained and wrapped. This also helps to keep storage containers clean. Large refuse such as boxes should be cut, crushed and tied into small bundles for easier handling. Refuse should be tightly closed and the area in which they are located should be clean, dry and orderly. Frequent collection of refuse is necessary to prevent unsanitary and unsightly conditions. Collection of refuse twice a week in residential areas is recommended but in once a week collection is the minimum preferred frequency. Similarly, Atuaya (1986) pointed out that there are many refuse disposal alternatives; the most common in Nigeria are dumps instead of sanitary land fill. Other methods include incineration, composting and recycling. In the case of dumps, the refuse may be burnt, is left uncovered and may be scattered indiscriminately over a wide area. Large population of insects and rats inhabits the dumps. This is the most common waste disposal method in Nigeria today.
Sanitary landfill method eliminates most of the unsanitary and unsafe condition of dumps. Sanitary land fill which is highly recommended for Nigeria’s situation requires careful planning and supervision. Here refuse is unloaded from trucks at selected point is spread and compacted over small area and are covered with a shallow layer of earth. The procedure is followed during each day operation.
Problems of improper waste disposal and management in Nigeria
Akpovi (2007) stated that the problems of improper waste disposal and management in Nigeria in a study in Lagos, identified some problems of waste disposal as over population, poor finance, inadequate facilities and equipment lack of maintenance of the existing one and insufficient personnel. He further stated that a study carried out by Anyasi (1983) has identified the uncooperative attitude of the public, and poor attitude to work by waste disposal workers as the major problem of waste management in Nigeria and not merely the absence of equipments.
The London Hazards Centre Fact Sheet Inc (2002) stated that many workers are at risk from diseases associated with coming in contact with blood, body fluids and other forms of clinical waste at work. Furthermore, the employers must have safe systems of work in place to ensure workers, patients or members of the public are not at risk. Hazardous Waste Regulation (2005) in July 2005 replaced the special waste regulation and introduced new definition of hazardous for infectious and pharmaceutical wastes. Waste that contain substances containing viable micro-organism or their toxins which are known or reliably believed to cause disease in man or other living organism are hazardous wastes. The exposure of workers to the hazards will cause exposure to virus, bacteria, fungi and parasites whose effects include infection and allergy.
The London Hazards Centre Fact Sheet Inc (2002) stated that diseases such as hepatitis, E-Coli infection, tuberculosis, as well as ill-health such as digestive problems including diarrhoea are associated with poor management of clinical waste. It further stated that those at risk includes nurses, cleaners, handlers, laundry workers, doctors, surgeons, waste disposal workers, laboratory workers, etc. In clinical waste issues, www.GMB.uk stated that the major problem encountered in the management of clinical waste is with storage and the length of time it lays before being collected, absence of hospital guidelines on clinical waste disposal, unsatisfactory protective materials, unsatisfactory storage and transportation equipment, irregular safety inspection by environmental health officers.
Abayomi (1993), enumerates some of the basic problems of refuse management which includes;
- Lack of storage facilities
- Lack of collection facilities
- Lack of final disposal sites
- Lack of manpower
- Lack of transportation
- Lack of political will
- Lack of motivation on the part of the workers
- Lack of protective materials
- Poor housing and town planning
- Non-existence of recycling firm or industries.
Balogun (1982) identified some problems of refuse management as our population, poor finance, inadequate facilities and the existing ones and insufficient personnel. Anyasi (1983) has identified the uncooperative attitudes of the public and poor attitude to work by waste disposal workers as the major problems of waste management in Nigeria an not merely the absence of equipment.
Adedibu (1988) conducted a study on the problem of waste management in Nigerian cities, attributed cases of poor management and low priority given to refuse collection, transportation and disposal. Many cases from major Nigerian cities showed that many states lacked co-ordinate policies on waste management. Sule (1982) was interested in the attitude of people towards waste management in Lagos with particular reference to Surulere, they found out that the attitude to waste collection and that of workers was a problem and traced the negative attitude to poor working condition. He therefore recommended promotion and training opportunities be given to workers to enable them to be more enthusiastic about their job.
Refuse become less problematic where there are adequate receptacle at the collection point. Refuse must first be stored in a receiving medium to facilitate collection and transportation. These containers improved system can prevent littering of refuse on the street.
Management of waste
Ikelgbe (2007) stated that all activities that seek to minimize the health of an environment and aesthetic impact to waste management. The waste problem, to a large extent is also a resource management problem. Waste is as a result of bad design, an ultimately the result of bad decision making either on the part of the institution responsible for the individuals within the society. Furthermore, waste management relates to the entire strategies for the collection, removal of wastes generated at and finally dispose off in a hygienic and most aesthetically and acceptable manner.
UNCHS (2001) states that in sub-Saharan Africa, there are notable signs that has high rates of waste in an environmentally friendly manner. This is attested by the fact that only 31% of her annual urban waste produced collection, open waste dumping are widespread. Chokor (2006) states that waste management refers to the development of a system to combat waste and minimize the effects on the emission levels and environmental standards to regulate individuals, groups and agencies. He further explains that dumping of waste in surrounding bushes remove waste from household but transfer the impact to their environments and the burden of disposal to the public and local authorities. Households need to be mobilised to embrace acceptable waste management practice so that the waste management system will not be frustrated and also allows more havoc to be done to humanity and the environment.
References
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Anyente, E. U. (1996). Solid Waste Generation. A Paper Presented at the Workshop for Senior Local Government Officials in Delta State on Waste Management and Environmental Sanitation. Lecture Organised by Local Government Services Commission Asaba, Delta State.
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