Household Willingness-to-Pay for Improved Solid Waste Management Services in Four Major Metropolitan Cities in Ghana

Abstract

Introduction Waste management is an important developmental issue globally, especially in developing countries like Ghana. A key challenge of waste management in developing countries is sustainable financing. This study assesses the willingness-to-pay, an integral attribute of sustainable financing mechanism for improved solid waste management (SWM) services in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional multicenter study was conducted in Ghana from January to August 2017 among 1560 households in four regional capitals in Ghana; Accra, Takoradi, Kumasi, and Tamale. Data were collected by using a structured interview questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to determine the predictors of willingness-to-pay for SWM services in Ghana. Results Overall, 53.7% of the households were willing to make additional payment for improved services, with difference across study sites: 54.5%, 53.1%, 61.7%, and 46.6% in Takoradi, Tamale, Accra, and Kumasi, respectively. Willingness-to-pay for improved SWM was predicted by educational level, marital status, type of employment, and region of residence. Compared to women who had no formal education, those having senior high school (aOR (adjusted odds ratio): 2.53; 95% CI: 1.48, 4.30), postsecondary (aOR: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.08, 3.60), and tertiary education (aOR: 3.30; 95% CI: 1.91, 5.69) were associated with higher odds of willingness-to-pay for improved SWM services. Conclusion This study provides important evidence on important attribute of financing mechanism, willingness-to-pay for improved SWM services. Findings would contribute to efforts at finding sustainable financing mechanism for waste management services in Ghana.

An assessment of house-hold solid waste management in a large Ghanaian district

“…This also compounds the United Nation Conference on Human Settlement observations (UNCHS, 1996) indicating that one third to one half of solid waste generated within most cities in low-and middle-income countries (including Ghana) are not collected. To salvage this situation, it has been opined that each household is required to place a container in front of the house on specific days and collect the container after its content has been collected (Boateng et al, 2019;Francis Xavier et al, 2018).…”

“…Several gaps exist within efficiency and effective waste domain in Ghana. although some work has been done, more questions remain unanswered (Kretchy et al, 2019;Boateng et al, 2019;Owusu-Nimo et al, 2019).…”

What Drives Households’ Payment for Waste Disposal and Recycling Behaviours? Empirical Evidence from South Africa’s General Household Survey

“…The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) contends that behaviour can be predicated by people’s intentions, which is determined by attitudes and behaviour intentions, which are affected by social norms and the level of controls [ 33 , 34 , 41 , 42 ]. It is based on the assumption that rational thinking influences people’s decisions, choices and actions, which are determined by three things: attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control.…”

“…It is therefore important to explore the factors that influence households’ recycling behaviour and affect their willingness to pay for waste disposal. This is relevant for designing the “best” approach that will not only ensure efficient waste disposal strategies but also enhance households’ participation in the whole process [ 34 , 35 ].…”

Assessing Households' Willingness to Pay for Improved Solid Waste Management Services in Jigjiga, Ethiopia

“…Even though similar studies [12][13][14][15][16][17]have been undertaken so far, this study's uniqueness is in that it did not only focus on the demand side but also examined the supply side issues by taking stock of the challenges faced by the local government and private companies currently engaged in waste collection and disposal in the study area. Furthermore, the study assessed attitude and behaviour of households towards the current solid waste collection service.…”