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2.1 Topic b: Collection and transfer

Most major cities in Africa have an established municipal waste collection system. Collection is carried out by human- and animal-drawn carts (wheelbarrows, pushcarts), open-back trucks, compactor trucks, and trailers. Collection rates across the continent range from 20-80% with a median range of 40-50%.

In cities across West Africa, vehicle immobilization rates reach as high as 70%, reducing the rate of collection. Where collection is performed by non-mechanical means, the volume of material to be collected often exceeds the capacity of the collection system. Pre-collection is carried out by community groups in some areas not served directly by municipal vehicles. For example, in Cotonou, Benin, such a group is authorized to pre-collect the waste and deposit it in communal bins for later removal by the municipality.

In most cities collection is provided by the municipality. Private operators also provide service on a fee basis to households and commercial establishments. In Cairo, the Zabbaleen is a group that has traditionally specialized in MSW collection and now operates as a cooperative to perform this service with authorization from the municipal authority. However, though such cooperatives might do much to improve municipal sanitation, they are not common in other African cities. Since the mid-1970s international aid has promoted initiatives to improve the coverage of MSW collection services in Africa. These efforts have focused primarily on vehicular collections in the central city. In some West African cities, such as Dakar and Cotonou, local initiatives have focused on service to formerly neglected peri-urban areas.

Street sweeping is also performed by municipal public works staff. Sweeping is most commonly performed manually. In some cities the streets are swept at dawn prior to the opening of the market place and commercial center and prior to the first pass of the MSW collection service. In other cities sweeping occurs at dusk, with the closing of the market place and commercial center. The debris is deposited into public waste receptacles along the street and outside the market place. This waste is then removed later for disposal. Collections generally occur at dawn before the commercial centers open and at dusk after these centers have closed for the day. Collections from market places and commercial centers tend to be made in the evening while collections from residential areas and of street sweepings are made at dawn.

In the case of markets with stalls assigned to individual vendors, the vendor is generally responsible for sweeping his/her stall and placing the debris at the curb. Municipal street sweepers then clean these common areas and set out the waste for pick up by the collection vehicle.

Transfer stations are not common in MSWM in African cities. One such facility, operated by the City of Abidjan, CÔte d'Ivoire, is no longer functional. In almost all cases, the point of disposal of the MSW is located on the perimeter of the city, within easy reach of vehicles and collection crews. The collection vehicles are generally of the 6-7 cubic meter capacity and go directly from their point of last pickup to the disposal site.

The lack of reliable collection service undoubtedly takes a toll on the public health and aesthetics of African cities. As the urban share of the population grows on the continent this problem is likely to increase. Collection is a key link in the chain of MSWM from the point of generation to ultimate disposal. In any initiative to upgrade waste management service, sustainable, contextually appropriate collection should be a major focus of attention.

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