The document summarizes the general municipal solid waste management system in Ethiopia. It discusses the responsibilities of different levels of government for waste management and identifies issues and problems. The national government is responsible for policy and standards while regional and municipal governments implement plans. There is no uniform system and waste is often improperly disposed of. The document then analyzes waste generation sources, collection and transportation challenges, lack of treatment, and need for improved education and awareness.

1. General Municipal Solid Waste
Management System
in
Ethiopia
By:
Fikru Tessema
E-mail: fikrut@mail.com
July 2003
Addis Ababa
Waste Steam & Management System

2. 1. Municipal Waste Management
National Government:
The Federal Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is responsible to formulate:
- National Environmental Protection Policy and Conservation Strategy, which
includes environmental sanitation.
- Environmental standards
But there is no waste policy at Federal level. The Federal Ministry of Health in its
Public Health Law has also ordinance for waste and necessary measures for its
miss management.
Prefectural Government:
The Regional Environmental Protection Bureaus (EPBs) are responsible:
- To formulate rules, regulations, and regional environment conservation strategy
based on the National Environmental Protection Policy and Conservation Strategy.
- To formulate environmental standards.
Some waste Rules and Regulation of some Regional EPBs are under process. They are
not yet proclaimed.
Municipal Government:
The Sanitation & Beatification Agency and Municipalities (M) are responsible:
- To formulate municipal solid waste management plan.
- To provide municipal solid waste management services.
- For the disposal of municipal solid waste
Some M have an operational regulation for environmental sanitation.
2. Industrial Waste Management
National Government:
The Federal Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is responsible:
- To formulate EIA and pollution control regulation for industrial sector.
- There is no industrial waste policy at Federal level
Prefectural Government:
The Regional Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) is responsible:
- To formulate rules and regulations for industrial pollution control.
- To apply EIA for industrial development
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3. Some industrial pollution control Rules and Regulation of some regional EPBs are
under process. They are not yet ratified.
Municipal Government:
The Sanitation & Beatification Agency & Municipalities are not responsible:
- To formulate institutional solid waste management plan.
- To provide institutional solid waste management services.
For the disposal of industrial solid waste the generators released in to the environment
without efficient treatment.
3. Perspectives and Problems
Unit Summary of Present Condition Issues and Problems
1. Waste
Management
System
Institutional Arrangement:
The Sanitation & Beatification
Agency and Municipalities are in
charge of solid waste management
while the Federal EPA and
Regional EPB give guidance and
raise awareness on the handling of
wastes.
Legal System:
The only regulations and laws are
the Legal Notice of some Regional
States, the Public Health Law of
the Ministry of Health and
Environment Policy.
There are no uniform
institutional arrangements
for waste management in the
country; in some regions, it is
under Municipalities and in
the others under the Health
Bureaus.
Laws and regulations are not
properly implemented.
There is no waste policy at
Federal Government.
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4. Unit Summary of Present Condition Issues and Problems
2. Waste
Generation
Waste Generators:
- Households (65%)
- Market places (10%)
- Institutions (6%)
- Street sweeping (10%)
- Industries (9%)
General Waste Type (%by wt,
1994):
1. Vegetables 4.19%
2. Paper 2.47%
3. Rubber & plastics 2.97%
4. Wood 2.33%
5. Bone 1.06%
6. Textile 2.37%
7. Metals 0.93%
8. Glass 0.45%
9. Combustible: leaves, grass, etc
15.13%
10.Non combustible 2.52%
11.Fine <10mm size 29.93%
12.10 < Fine < 55mm size 35.65%
Industrial Waste Type: Not
Clearly Identified.
The total volume of solid
waste for the country is not
known.
The total volume of solid
waste for urban center is not
correctly estimated, but some
estimates are made based on
the study made for the Addis
Ababa City, the capital of the
country.
The available study is used
for a long period. It needs
updating.
Industrial waste is disposed-
off in the environment
without any treatment.
3. Collection and
Transportation
• Wastes from households and
institutions are collected by
public sector.
• The households are also
expected to bring their wastes
to the point of collection.
• Street cleaners sweep the
asphalt roads and collect by
using wheelbarrows.
• After collection, the wastes are
directly hauled to the dumpsite
The physical layout of urban
centers, road condition and
disposal sites determine the
collection system.
Most of the inner part of
urban centers is not
accessible for trucks thus the
skips are placed near/on the
main roads and wastes
should be carried manually
from the households to the
skips.
The landfill/dump sites are
located at unsuitable areas,
which also affect frequency of
collection and also incurs
transport cost.
There is no source reduction
and separation at point of
generation.
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5. Unit Summary of Present Condition Issues and Problems
4. Intermediate
Treatment
• There is no formal or public solid
waste processing like recovery
system, or operation, composting
and waste-to-energy.
• Some scavengers practice an
informal type of solid waste
recovery at landfill/dump site..
Lack of awareness and
commitment of the
public sector.
Informal sectors are
not well organized
5. Terminal
Treatment
• Most urban centers have district-
dumping sites.
• The number of district-dump sites
is not more than 1 - 2 for each
urban center.
• For household, commercial and
street wastes: the municipalities
and health bureaus are in charge
of its disposal.
• Industrial wastes are released in
to the environment without
efficient treatment.
There is no leachate
and atmospheric
emissions control.
Improper operational
procedures, i.e. no soil
cover and control of
flying materials.
6. Environmental
Education
• The regional Environmental
Protection Bureaus are in charge
of education the community in
some regions.
• In the regions where there are no
environment bureaus, the
Regional Health Bureaus are
responsible in educating the
community on the environment.
Inaccessibility to reach
the community to
expand environmental
education to the grass
route population.
7. Others Items • Indiscriminate dumping cannot be
managed. About more than 40% of
total waste generated in urban
centers are discharged and
uncollected on the streets, and the
fields and in the rivers and waters.
• With the increasing of population
in urban centers the waste volume
increases.
• There is shortage of qualified
professionals and no specialists
(such as biologists, sanitary
engineers or scientists) in waste
management department.
• Insufficient funds & poor
manpower development.
Low level of population
awareness and
participation.
Low level of service
coverage because of
the involvement of the
public sector alone in
waste management.
There is no private
sector involvement in
waste management.
The public sector is
not organized as a
profit making
organization and a
cost recovery system is
absent.
Funds are derived only
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6. form the general
income.
4. The Current Strategic Framework Components
4.1 Policy and its Regulation
There is no waste policy at federal or regional level and no guidelines for private
waste operators. The only laws and regulations are the Legal Notice of the
Addis Ababa City Government, the Public Health Law of the Ministry of Health
and Laws of Federal Environment Protection Authority for pollution control.
Based on the current policy issues, the Addis Ababa City Municipality also
considers its responsibility for waste management among issues requiring top
priorities; gives due attention to up-grade solid waste management and
reinforce the legal aspects as regards to beautification and environmental
protection in the city with the involvement of private sector and community
participation.
The City Government has, therefore, ratified waste policy and its regulation for
sufficient legal enforcement system for the sector.
4.2 Agency Reorganization
With respect to the institutional arrangement and management structure, they
are not set in the most responsive manner and this greatly affects work
coordination, control, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms due to low
institutional capacity, inefficiency and poor institutional arrangement for MSW
management.
The public sector is not organized as a profit making organization. The
resource available for solid waste management is not sufficient and a cost
recovery system is also absent.
Specific waste collection taxes are not well organized and funds are derived
from the general income of the city government. As a consequence, economics
of scale of equipment and facilities are seldom recognized. The expensive parts
of the system like waste collection, transport & disposal equipment and public
toilets have started to deteriorate.
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7. The City Government has, therefore, reorganized the Agency as a municipal
company to improve the institutional arrangement and its management
structure.
4.3 Standard Regulations/Requirements
The involvement of the government alone and lack of private sector involvement
in SWM and PTS are becoming the main important parts to be considered for
their implication on collection and disposal of wastes in the city. Especially
collection is labour intensive and it is not an easy task for the public sector to
carry out alone.
The City Government has, therefore, prepared a Minimum
Requirement/Standards for Private Companies and Civic Societies’ Involvement
in Solid Waste Collection & Transportation, Recycling, Composting and Public
Toilet Services in Addis Ababa City for the involvement of the private sector,
MSEs and NGOs.
4.4 Public Awareness
Irrespective of who carries and places waste in the skips and trucks is still
demanding the cooperation of the population to be corrected. The cooperation
from population becomes more and more important in the SW separation,
storage and collection system and utilization of public toilets properly.
This is the case in the City of Addis Ababa: sorting, storage and collection
system of solid waste that has been performed is unsatisfactory. As a result,
open drains & spaces and rivers are the places where wastes end up.
The City Government has, therefore, designed the public awareness creation
programme to increase and insure population participation.
4.5 A Network for the Improvement of the Addis Ababa Solid
Waste Management (SWM) System
The public sector has nothing to do with processing of solid waste and it is also
designed and operated to the unacceptable system of operation. There is no
waste recovery system or operation, composting, waste-to-energy and source
reduction and separation at point of generation. But, some scavengers practice
an informal type of solid waste recovery at landfill site. They recover plastics,
rubber, bottles, metals and combustible materials that can be used as a fuel.
Some other informal groups also recover some components of solid waste at its
source.
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8. The City Government has, therefore, designed a network for Addis Ababa City
SWM System for the improvement of its management and bringing to the
acceptable level of operation.
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