A Planning Framework for Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Decision-Making

This study presents a framework for sustainable planning and decision-making for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal in the context of developing countries. The framework was developed through a detailed study of MSW disposal in Ghana, using the Wa Municipality as a case study. The methodology and research design for the study was a descriptive and interpretive case study that was analysed through both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The developed framework consists of three main pillars of solid waste management (SWM) elements: MSW generation and characteristics, the baseline scenario of MSW disposal, and MSW disposal environmental performance. The framework can assist waste management decision-makers to take the guesswork out of decisions for waste management planning in developing countries, as the framework incorporates a better picture of how a current waste management system works and what effects changes could have, through an integrated environmental performance evaluation. Furthermore, the application of the framework has the potential to increase the level of decision-makers’ awareness of the environmental burdens of MSW disposal and possibly lead to the reduction of the future undesirable environmental effects of MSW disposal in some developing countries.