The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) of the University of Ghana (UG) has disclosed that Ghana loses more than GH¢6.2 billion every year through healthcare costs and lost productivity associated with poor waste management and sanitation.

According to the new policy brief, economic losses from poor sanitation far exceed the funds allocated by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for waste management and sanitation services.

In response to the growing crisis, the Ghanaian government has introduced several initiatives to tackle plastic waste.

These efforts started in 2008 with a ban on plastic production and imports. In 2011, a Plastic Waste Recycling Fund was established, and a 10% Environmental Excise Tax was levied on imported plastics to support recycling and waste management programs.

The government also introduced the National Plastics Management Policy in 2020, which seeks to manage plastic waste across its entire lifecycle and promote a circular economy for plastics.

Despite these measures, the issue of proper plastic waste disposal remains a significant challenge, exacerbated by low awareness regarding safe and sustainable disposal practices such as segregation, recycling, and controlled incineration.

This issue undermines the promises made by President Akufo-Addo to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

Currently, the government is set to phase out the use of small motorised tricycles for household waste collection as part of efforts to reduce filth in the country.

Addressing the media on Thursday, September 10, the Minister for Local Government, Mahama Ayariga, disclosed that the government will introduce a regulated waste collection system using purpose-built vehicles and electronic payment systems.

He noted that the proposed vehicles will be designed to ensure that waste is discharged at transfer stations after being collected from various centres. Minister Mahama Ayariga stated that waste operators will be charged based on the amount of waste discharged, which will be weighed at the transfer stations.

Additionally, he noted that banks and fintech companies have been tasked with developing an electronic payment system through which households will make payments to support the waste collection initiative.

He added, “So I’ve discussed with the Finance Minister he says he’s willing to invest in those ones when those ones come you can now replace that.”

Also, he revealed the government’s plans to construct transfer stations within a maximum distance of five kilometres from communities, this he noted is to make waste collection faster, more efficient and better organised, especially in major cities.

Ghana generates an estimated 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year. According to the Auditor General (A-G), only about 9.5% of this waste undergoes recycling, highlighting an urgent need for enhanced waste management and recycling strategies.

The report reads, “Ghana generates approximately 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year and approximately 9.5% of what is collected is recycled and the rest are indiscriminately disposed of without regard to its environmental impact”.

A visit by the Independent Ghana team to two rivers in Accra, such as the Odaw River near the Agbogbloshie market, painted a bleak picture.Similarly, the Chemu Lagoon in the Ablekuma South Municipality serves as another striking example of the issue.

The absence of waste bins and the weak enforcement of disposal laws have turned the lagoon into a dumping ground. Residents cited insufficient infrastructure and security as reasons for dumping waste directly into the waterway, with many claiming they had no alternative due to the lack of designated disposal sites.

Meanwhile, the slum along the Korle Lagoon in Accra is set to undergo redevelopment in the coming days.

The area is expected to be redeveloped into multi-storey homes made from converted shipping containers. According to Mahama Ayariga, the project will set off after the military has evacuated people from the area and cleared the dumpsite of waste.

He disclosed added that the then be taken to the Adepa Waste Management Centre in Nsawam for disposal or processing.

“If Ghanaians see us clear this mess, Ghanaians will say, ‘Okay, you have cleared the mess. But if you leave these people here, they will create the mess again.So please, just finish it for us. When you are doing that, you have everybody’s support.

“And I’m saying that even these people, we’re not going to move them out of this location. I don’t believe in doing that. I’m saying we are going to mobilise international support, local support and just redevelop the area into more liveable spaces.”

“I can assure you that many of the people sitting here are from my hometown. I know where my people are in Accra, so I will be the last person to approach them with an inhumane face. I will treat them as brothers and sisters who have also come to Accra to see what the city can do for them.”

Korle Lagoon is a coastal water body in Accra, Ghana, located just west of the city centre. Once a vital fishing and flood-control basin, it is now infamous as one of the most polluted lagoons in West Africa due to urban waste, industrial effluents, and e-waste contamination.