Ghana is ramping up efforts to tackle its plastic waste crisis with a nationwide push for recycling and sustainable waste management.
Led by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MEST), a $7 million initiative launched earlier this year is driving the country’s transition to a circular economy.
“When rain falls like this, the pure water rubbish and water bottles are always roaming, and the community always floods,” said one resident. “But for now, the clean-up has changed everything. Now… it’s always neat,” she explained.
Beyond its environmental impact, the recycling movement is also helping to address unemployment by creating income opportunities for residents.
“Before, the plastic rubbish… they don’t sell it,” continued the resident. “But nowadays, I will go and pick the rubbish and go and sell it… I can buy food for myself, I can buy bread.”
Ghana produces an estimated 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year, but until this year, only around 9.5 percent of it was recycled. The rest typically ends up in drains, open areas, or the ocean, endangering ecosystems and exacerbating urban flooding.
(WATCH) From waste to wages – Ghana’s recycling drive transforms Accra communities
