70% of Accra’s waste is collected, 30% uncollected – Zoomlion reports

Zoomlion Ghana Limited’s Communications Manager, Ernest Morgan Acquah, disclosed that 70% of waste in Accra is collected, with the remaining 30% left uncollected.

He clarified that major waste management companies, including Zoomlion, are responsible for collecting 80% of the waste, while local tricycle operators, known as “Aboboyaa,” collect the remaining 20%.

Accra has long faced challenges with flooding, largely due to clogged gutters filled with waste.

Speaking on Citi TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfoh, Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, mentioned, “The sanitation people tell me we’re collecting in Accra something in the region of 70% to 80%.”

Dr. Ohene Sarfoh acknowledged the visible amount of waste on the ground, despite regular clean-ups by the Assemblies.

He noted, “In just the first quarter, we’re aiming for around 250 tons per assembly for the month, we’re exceeding it for every Assembly. People are just throwing in the gutters and all of that.”

Confirming the 70% waste collection rate, Mr. Acquah expressed concern over the lack of a proper landfill site in Accra.

He explained, “We either treat or dispose of the waste when collected…. One big challenge we have in Accra, as we speak, there’s no final disposal site in Accra, so when we pick up the waste from Accra, we do a round trip of about 100 kilometers to go and dump it in a landfill site in the Eastern region – Adepa. Before we come back and collect the next set.”

Regarding waste disposal, he stated that about 80% of the collected waste is disposed of, while 20% is recycled. He also highlighted the introduction of recycling plants in all 16 regions by Zoomlion.

However, Mr. Acquah criticized some “Aboboyaa” operators for improper waste disposal practices, noting that while they are counted as part of the 70% waste collection, many do not dispose of it properly.

He said, “The problem is that some of them, when they pick it from the households, we’re counting them as picking the waste as part of the 70%. But the 70% they will go dispose it off at different places – Motorway, sometimes at night. When you ply the Tema Motorway, you will see heaps of waste.”