CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Health is wealth, but before health becomes wealth there is a need for proper management of the environment. Lack of planned environmental management has been known even in developed countries to cause many illnesses in societies. Poor environmental management, for instance, led to various diseases in the UK, and in the early days of the nation’s development many acts were implemented to improve the situation (Bruton, 1971). Similarly, the United States of America has created more recently the Environmental Protection Agency to guide against ills imposed by poor environmental control (Boggs, 1969). There is no doubt, therefore, that for proper management of our environment there is a need for adequate planning.

Waste is an inevitable product of society (White et al., 1995). According to the Basel Convention, it is a substance or object which is disposed of or intended to be disposed of or is required to be disposed of by the provision of the law (UNCED, 1992). Managing this waste more effectively is a need that society has to address. Uncontrolled dumping and improper waste handling cause a variety of public health and environmental problems, including contaminating nearby water bodies, attracting insects and rodents, and increasing flooding due to blocked drainage canals or gullies. Few reports indicated that the average organic content for urban municipal solid waste in Africa is more than half of the total waste generated. Wastes from institutions such as educational institutes are characterized by considerable volumes of organic waste from the kitchen and gardens, recyclable wastes such as plastics, paper, cans, non-recyclable and hazardous wastes. Armijo et al reported the generation of one ton of solid waste per day in the Mexicali campus, Mexico where the portion with recycling potential was more than 65%. From the study, larger proportion of waste is found in the recyclable and potentially recyclable categories. According to Armijo, one such characterization studied carried out at Brown University revealed that 45% of the waste generated in the institution is recyclable. Universities and colleges are required by the state and international bodies to adopt sustainable development in their operations in order to have a positive impact on the socio-economic and environmental wellbeing of their immediate and extended communities.

An integrated waste management system is one of the major challenges for sustainable development Tchobanoglous.,G, Virgil, S., 1995.Integrated Solid Waste Management.

McGraw-Hill identified waste characterization as the first step to any successful waste management policy in order to estimate potential material recovery. The composition of generated waste varies as a result of seasonal variation, lifestyle, demographics, geographic and local legislations impacted (Hockett et al.,1995; Irwan et al., 2011).

Owing to the dramatic expansion of universities in Cameroon, understanding the composition and nature of solid waste at the source of a generation plays an important role in integrated waste management program. Application of the integrated waste management hierarchy is useful in terms of resource recovery, protecting human health and environment, and for the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs). This approach within the educational institutions will create an opportunity to communities in university campus and nearby to effect sustainable programs. Moreover, universities can be a platform to educate and increase awareness, implement technologies, and develop working guidelines and tools to create an environmentally sustainable future. To our knowledge, there is no study or information on the solid waste generation for universities in Buea. In this study, we report the quantity, quality and recycling potential of the waste generated at the Higher Institute of Management Studies (HIMS) Buea.

 

1.2 Background of the study 

Solid Waste generation within households, markets and communities are as a result of human activities (Zurbrugg, 2002; Gawaikar and Deshpande, 2006 and Ejaro and Jiya, 2013). These human activities which directly or indirectly produce waste could be agricultural, commercial, or domestic. These sources of waste are highly heterogeneous and are made up of important waste streams such as plastics, yard waste, food waste, papers, metals, glass, textiles, leather and other miscellaneous materials.

According to the United Nations Populations Fund, UNFPA (2008) about 3.3.billion people live in towns and cities and this number is expected to rise to about 5 billion by 2030 (UNFPA,2008). Literally more people in a specific geographic location would imply higher level of waste generation, hence more waste to manage within that area. Poorly managed waste is perceived to have negative effects on the environment and inability of societies to manage waste generation effectively play a role in increasing environmental pressures (Alam et al., 2007).

Cameroon like many other countries suffers from poor waste management. It begins from household and the attitudes are taken out to places like school campuses. The primary role of waste characterization for example in universities can help improve the health of population, promote environmental quality and sustainability at the level of the school before companies concerned with transportation of waste can play their role (Katrina, 2007).

The Cameroonian government is gradually emerging from a hygienist vision of municipal solid waste management and is adopting a more environmentalist, sustainable approach. Although in Cameroon no legislation to this effect is currently taking place the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development has incorporated the concept of sustainable development in its waste management strategy document. The official strategy is clearly structured around three priorities. The first is to prevent and reduce the production and harmfulness of waste by developing clean and more resource-efficient techniques. The second priority is to ensure that more waste is recovered and recycled, and the third is to dispose of non-valuable waste in a sustainable way.

Buea and other African cities generate 80% organic waste, 10% plastic, glass and metal waste and less than 1% paper waste per day (Gawaikar and Deshpande, 2006). However, most of these wastes are not properly collected and disposed of in a safe and healthy manner. This situation is not limited to Buea and may be applicable to all the major cities in Cameroon.

Although many cities the world over use 20-50 per cent of their budget in solid waste management, only 20-80 per cent of the waste they produce is collected (Achankeng, 2003). The uncollected or illegally dumped waste constitutes danger to human health and is a recipe for environmental degradation. Not only are the quantities but also the variety of waste is increasing as consumption habits are fuelled by globalisation (Achankeng, 2003).

 

1.3 Statement of the problem

The increasing population of Cameroon and its associated increase in economic activities as well as infrastructure has made the impact of improper solid waste disposal very noticeable. A walk within town reveals visible solid waste problems such as garbage accumulation, littering and open burning. The literature appears to focus on residential waste management with little attention on institutional waste management as well as on the value of such waste resources. This, therefore, creates a gap in knowledge relating to the absence of information on economic value of waste generated which makes it difficult for authorities to adopt sustainable methods of waste management practices such as recycling.

While institutions in the developed countries have put in place waste recovery system which enables them to gain economically from adding value to waste resources, institutions in most developing countries continue to increase cost in the collection and disposal of waste. For instance, in 2002, Washington State University (WSU) was able to divert 98% of the waste generated and in 2005, 99.9% of waste generated was diverted from landfills through its recycling programs (WSU Recycling, 2005). Hence, institutions in developing countries not only lose the benefits that come from adding value to these waste resources, but they also pollute the environment and increase cost in the areas of collection and disposal.  This backs Johannessen and Boyer (1999) observations that, SWM practices that aim at maximizing the yield of valuable products from waste, as well as minimizing the environmental effects have had little or no consideration in Africa. These observations are not different in Cameroon. At the national, municipal or institutional levels, steps are not taken to separate waste from source for value addition. However, there are various technologies available for enhancing sustainable SWM in developed countries. Initiatives from one country can be exported from one country to another.

Universities in Cameroon have experienced a rapid increase in population, as such the quantity of waste generated also increases. The lack of knowledge and financial resources to provide the basic services to manage waste is one of the problems faced in campuses. Emphasis has been placed on the improvement of waste management via local authorities. However in the absence of qualitative and quantitative data from waste streams regarding source of generation and physical characteristics it becomes difficult to develop local solutions promoting sustainable solid waste management. As such waste characterization is very important (Manga et al., 2007). This study is focused on the generation and characterisation of waste in educational institutions using the University of Buea as case study.

 

1.4 General objectives;

The overall goal of the study is to examine the quantity and volume of waste solid waste generated and management practices carried out in the University of Buea.

1.4.1 Specific objectives

Following this broad objective, the specific objectives for the study include the following:

1. To identify possible solution towards barriers to effective waste management in the University of Buea.
2. To determine the quantity of waste generated in the University of Buea.
3. To determine the physical composition and volume of waste generated in the University of
4. To determine the recycling potential of the waste generated in the University of Buea.