Solid waste is generated hastily and created lots of complications in developing countries like Ethiopia. If solid waste is not managed properly, it will certainly have a negative impact on sustainable living style, local environment, and human health. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the solid waste generation rate, physico-chemical characterization, and heavy metal concentration of municipal solid waste in the study area. To achieve the objective, a cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used, and multi-stage sampling methods were employed. Primary data were gathered from 141 respondents through questionnaires and interviews, and observations were also used for waste characterization. The study showed that the Hadero town generated 0.09, 0.14, and 0.16kg/capita/day based on the low, middle and higher income respectively. The average solid waste generation rate of the present study area was 0.13kg/capita/day. The study revealed that in the town the daily total solid waste generation was 5825.43kg and the annual total generation of solid waste was 2126281.95kg. The pH and EC values were 5.82, and 2.42ds/m respectively in the study area. Moreover, the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of the solid waste sample were 1.35%, 0.223%, and 0.923%, respectively. The results revealed that the highest proportion of heavy metals such as Fe (1812.7mg/kg) followed by Mn (1072.7mg/kg) and Zn (448.92mg/kg) was recorded in the study area. The least heavy metal in municipal solid waste is Cd (2.92mg/kg).
