Domestic solid waste is becoming a threat to Addis Ababa city’s environment, as only 65% of the
waste produced per day is collected and disposed, 5% is recycled, 5% is composted and the
remaining 25% is uncollected and dumped in unauthorized areas. Since domestic waste dominate
the municipality’s waste category, its management and associated environmental impacts is
worthy of attention. This review aimed to examine the composition and impacts of domestic solid
waste and evaluate the existing waste management practices through field visit, discussion and
review of literature. The solid waste generation rate of the city is about 0.45 kg/capita/day. Waste
collectors participate in the waste management by receiving service charge from residential areas
equaling 20% of the cost of their water consumption. The city is still dependent on ‘Reppi/Koshe’
dumping site that receives over 750 tons of solid waste per day. Inadequate domestic solid waste
management creates a range of environmental problems. Although the management strategy of
the city is improving still it couldn’t address the demand side. Segregation, treatment, proper
disposal, policy and law enforcement and capacity building are potential areas of improvement
through research interventions.