The Zero Waste Accra initiative was launched on September 5th, 2021. Through this project, the Dade-Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LaDMA) and Green Africa Youth Organization (Gayo) want to contribute to sustainable solid waste management in Accra, the capital of Ghana. According to the two partners, the new project will implement a community-driven zero waste strategy that will collect waste from the oceanfront and mangrove ecosystems for a materials recovery facility and recycling businesses.
The Zero Waste Accra project is in line with Gayo’s Sustainable Community Project (SCP), which is being implemented in peri-urban areas through three Metropolitan and Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs), including Adansi South in the Ashanti region.
Adopting circular economy practices
“The SCP project converts various wastes into secondary raw materials. For example, organic waste into fertiliser for agriculture and biomass briquettes for domestic cooking, plastic waste into packaging, bags, etc.,” explains LaDMA. The project also builds the capacity of informal sector waste collectors and creates other jobs. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. According to the Waste Landfill Company in Ghana, Accra currently has two landfill sites at Kpone, which receives about 2,500 tonnes of waste per day, and the Nsawam-Adoagyiri site. This other facility, located near the Accra-Nsawam highway, has a capacity of about 680,000 m3.
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The Zero Waste Accra initiative is therefore set to reduce the size of its sites over the next 18 months. The initiative will also contribute to the preservation of ecosystems, as well as human health.
Inès Magoum