The Plastic Waste Value Chain in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area: Assessing Flows and Spatial Patterns of Recycling

Abstract

Pollution from plastic wastes has become one of the global challenges and the threat to hundreds of marine species being the most visible and disturbing impact. As many regulations move countries towards circular economy models, there are real opportunities for future investments to combat the pollution from plastics. This study reports on assessing flows and spatial patterns of recycling in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area using a variety of methods including review of literature, key informant interviews and administration of questionnaires to waste pickers, aggregators, recycling companies and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies. Thirteen (13) key informant interviews were done comprising of eight (8) Heads of waste management Departments at the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, three (3) Non-governmental Organisations (NGO) concerned with waste management, the manager of the Kpone Landfill as well as an officer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Two hundred and ten (210) questionnaires were also administered, One hundred and sixty (160) to waste pickers, fifty (50) to aggregators (waste agents, small and large scale plastic waste recovery enterprises) and eight (8) plastic recycling companies. This was done to illicit responses on the plastic waste collection, the trading activities, the types and amount of waste collected daily, the interrelationship that exist between the stakeholders and the core competencies and operational capacities of the recycling companies. The demographic data from responses to questionnaires administered indicate that majority of the waste pickers (75%) are women with average age of 46 years. Majority (85%) of them have no formal education. Further, the results show that, the entire life cycle in plastic waste recycling in GAMA engages a very broad set of commercial stakeholders which includes waste management crew, street waste pickers, landfill/waste dump scavengers, plastic waste agents/ wholesalers, small scale enterprises and large scale enterprises playing diverse roles in the waste trade. Altogether the plastic recycling companies recycle/ process about 47 tons of HDPE, 41 tons of LDPE, 20 tons of PET, 15 tons of Polypropylene and 5 tons of Polyvinyl-Chloride per day, the study also revealed that all the plastic recycling facilities interviewed were located either in a highly populated area, close to a landfill or dumpsite, or in an industrial area. Other less populated areas mainly are served by the aggregators collecting and buying waste from the communities to the recycling facilities. Two hundred and two thousand, eight hundred and twenty-four (202,824) tons of plastic waste is traded among the waste pickers and the waste agents or wholesalers during the study for a year, which is valued at GH₵ 91,999,464. A full-time waste picker makes between GH₵25.00 to GHC30.00 per day. The Current Ghanaian cedi to US Dollar exchange rate was GH₵5.76 to $1 at the time of the study. Even though the plastic waste trade activity provides employment and income to the local communities, not much attention has been given to it. It is recommended that, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) should consider amending the National Plastic Management Policy to include plastic waste trade sector specific legislations, this will bring good recognition to the trade. Also, since the trade is dominated by women, there should be the creation of women focused support from local and central government for plastic waste collection.