Cost drivers and functions for municipal solid waste collection systems in Ghana

  • Authors

    • Alhassan Sulemana Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
    • Emmanuel Amponsah Donkor Department of Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
    • Sampson Oduro-Kwarteng Department of Civil Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi
    2018-07-20
    https://doi.org/10.14419/ijet.v7i3.8852
  • Cost Drivers, Cost Function, Solid Waste Collection, Operating Cost, Fuel Consumed
  • The collection of municipal solid waste accounts for 60% to 80% of total management cost. This study determined the factors driving operating cost and developed cost functions for municipal solid waste collection systems in Ghana. Data on cost variables from seventy systems were used to estimate the parameters of log-linear cost functions. Results from the study led to the conclusion that quantity of waste collected, fuel consumed and distance travelled increase significantly and explain about 63.0% of the variation in operating cost. The amount of fuel consumed and quantity of waste collected varied significantly and explained about 67.4% of the variation in operating cost of systems from low waste generating sources. For high waste generating sources, the distance travelled, fuel consumed and quantity of waste collected significantly and better explained (85.4%) the variation in operating cost. This can be attributed to the fact that such systems are from places with better facilities. The cost function for high waste generating sources can comparatively better aid decision making in terms of operations, management, investment and policy actions. Cost-effective solid waste collection schemes should therefore consider efficient management of fuel consumed, quantity of waste generated and distance travelled.

     

     

  • References

    1. [1] Anestina AI, Adetola A & Odafe IB (2014), Performance assessment of solid waste management following private partnership operations in Lagos State, Nigeria. J. Waste Manag. 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/868072.

      [2] Oteng-Ababio M (2010), Missing links in solid waste management in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area in Ghana. GeoJournal 76: 551–560. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-010-9363-9.

      [3] Oduro-Kwarteng S (2011), Private Sector Involvement in urban Solid Waste Collection [Ph.D. Dissertation]. Rotterdam: Erasmus University.

      [4] Hoornweg D & Bhada-Tata P (2012), What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid Waste Management. â„– 15, the World Bank.

      [5] Beliën J, De Boeck L & Van Ackere J (2011), Municipal solid waste collection and management problems: A literature review. Transp. Sci. 48(1): 78–102. https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.1120.0448.

      [6] Siddam S, Khadikar I & Chitade A (2012), Route optimisation for solid waste management using geo- informatics. IOSR J. Mech. Civ. Eng. 2(1): 78–83. https://doi.org/10.9790/1684-0217883.

      [7] Malakahmad A, Md Bakri P, Md Mokhtar MR & Khalil N (2014), Solid waste collection routes optimization via GIS techniques in Ipoh City, Malaysia. In: Procedia Eng. 77: 20–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2014.07.023.

      [8] Parthan SR, Milke MW, Wilson DC & Cocks JH, Cost estimation for solid waste management in industrialising regions - Precedents, problems and prospects. Waste Manag. 32(3): 584–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2011.11.004.

      [9] Greco G, Allegrini M, Lungo CD, Savellini PG & Gabellini L (2014), Drivers of solid waste collection costs. Empirical evidence from Italy. J. Clean. Prod.106: 364–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.07.011.

      [10] El-Hamouz AM (2008), Logistical management and private sector involvement in reducing the cost of municipal solid waste collection service in the Tubas area of the West Bank. Waste Manag. 28(2): 260–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2006.11.012.

      [11] Miezah K, Obiri-danso K, Kádár Z, Fei-baffoe B & Mensah MY (2015), Municipal solid waste characterization and quantification as a measure towards effective waste management in Ghana. Waste Manag.46: 15-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2015.09.009.

      [12] Bel BG & Fageda X (2009), Empirical analysis of solid management waste costs: Some evidence from Galicia, Spain. Res. Inst. Appl. Econ. 1–22.

      [13] Dyson B & Chang NB (2005), Forecasting municipal solid waste generation in a fast-growing urban region with system dynamics modeling. Waste Manag. 25(7): 669–679. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2004.10.005.

      [14] Callan SJ & Thomasi JM (2001), Economies of scale and scope: A cost analysis of municipal solid waste services. Land Econ.77 (4): 548–560. https://dx.doi.org/10.3368/le.77.4.548.

      [15] Donkor EA (2015), A cost function for the Ghanaian small town’s water industry. In: Proceedings of ESTE Conference. Kumasi, Ghana; 430–438.

      [16] Beigl P, Wassermann G, Schneider F & Salhofer S (2004), Forecasting municipal solid waste generation in major European cities. Int. Congr. Environ. Model. Softw. 2004 83.

  • Downloads

  • How to Cite

    Sulemana, A., Amponsah Donkor, E., & Oduro-Kwarteng, S. (2018). Cost drivers and functions for municipal solid waste collection systems in Ghana. International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 7(3), 1561-1564. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijet.v7i3.8852