i  

 

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA 

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES 

 

 

 
PURSUING A CIRCULAR ECONOMY: EXAMINING THE SOLID WASTE 

SEPARATION PRACTICES OF RESTAURANTS IN MADINA OF THE LA 

NKWANTANANG-MADINA MUNICIPALITY (LANMMA) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: 

IVANA OBENG-ODEI 

(ID NUMBER: 10393328) 

 

 

 
THIS DISSERTATION IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON, IN 

PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIRMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MA IN 

DEVELOPMENT STUDIES DEGREE 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTITUTE OF STATISTICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH (ISSER) 

 

 
DECEMBER, 2022 

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DECLARATION 

I, IVANA OBENG-ODEI, hereby declare that except for reference to other people’s work which  has 

been duly acknowledged, this dissertation is the result of my research carried out at the  Institute of 

Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), University of Ghana under the  supervision of 

DR SIMON BAWAKYILLENUO. 

Ivana Obeng-Odei                                                   29th December 2022 

(Student)                                      (Signature)                                               (Date) 

 

 

 

Dr. Simon Bawakyillenuo                29th December 2022 

(Supervisor)                                  (Signature)                           (Date) 

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ABSTRACT 

 

 
Sustainable waste management has been particularly challenging for Ghana. There have been 

studies aimed at understanding and improving waste management systems however, most are 

focused on households; neglecting other sectors and their contributions to the waste situation 

in Ghana. This study pinpoints sustainable waste management practices in the restaurant 

industry of Madina – La Nkwantanang Municipality and how they can leverage the attainment 

of a circular economy paradigm of development. The study assessed restaurant personnel’s 

knowledge on the benefits of solid waste separation and examined the enabling and 

constraining factors of the adoption of waste separation and eco-friendly alternatives in the 

industry. 

One hundred and fifty-six (156) restaurant managers participated in the survey, which 

employed the use of semi-structured questionnaires. In addition, key resource persons from the 

municipal assembly and waste collectors were purposively sampled and interviewed. The 

results of the study revealed that there is an absence of waste separation agenda specific to the 

restaurant sector in Madina. Also, there is limited knowledge and practice of waste separation 

in restaurants in the study area; although, a significant number of restaurants are willing to 

incorporate environmentally sustainable practices in their business strategies. As per the 

findings, the study recommends educational and awareness campaigns for personnel of 

restaurants in Madina, the formulation and implementation of waste management policies for 

the sector, the provision of incentives like machinery and tax subsidies and the involvement of 

the private sector through partnerships. 

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DEDICATION 

 

 
I dedicate this work to my mother, Joyce Botchway, whose faith in me and in my future 

keeps me going. 

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

I am only alive and able to complete this course because of God’s mercy and grace towards 

me and for that I am most grateful. My deepest appreciation goes to my supervisor, Dr. 

Simon Bawakyillenuo, without whose patience and kindness, I could not have completed this 

work. Finally, to my two course mates – Portia and Richard - who were a constant source of 

encouragement and always had faith in my abilities, I am most grateful 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

DECLARATION i 

ABSTRACT ii 

DEDICATION iii 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv 

TABLE OF CONTENTS vi 

LIST OF TABLES viii 

LIST OF FIGURES ix 

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS xi 

CHAPTER ONE 1 

INTRODUCTION 1 

1.1 Background 1 

1.2 Problem Statement 4 

1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study 10 

1.4 Research Questions 10 

1.5 Organisation of the Study 12 

CHAPTER TWO 13 

LITERATURE REVIEW, THEORY AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 13 

2.1 INTRODUCTION 13 

2.2 CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY 13 

2.2.2. The Systems Thinking Approach 16 

2.2.3 Objectives of the Circular Economy 17 

2.3 WASTE SEPARATION 18 

2.3.2. Waste Separation at Source and Waste Characterisation 19 

2.4 OVERVIEW OF THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY IN GHANA 21 

2.4.2. Categorisations of the Food Service Industry in Ghana 22 

2.4.3. Certification and Permits in the Ghanaian Food Sector 25 

2.4.4. Criticisms Against the Food Service Industry in Ghana 26 

2.5 ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES IN RESTAURANTS 28 

2.6 GAPS IN LITERATURE 29 

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2.7 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 31 

2.8 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 33 

2.9 CONCLUSION 35 

CHAPTER THREE 35 

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROFILE OF STUDY AREA 36 

3.1 Introduction 36 

3.2 Research Design 36 

3.3 Types and Sources of Data 36 

3.4 Methods of Data Collection 37 

3.4.1 Quantitative Method of Data Collection 37 

3.4.2 Qualitative Method of Data Collection 37 

3.5 Target Population 38 

3.6 Sample Size and Sampling Procedure 38 

3.7 Data Processing and Analysis 41 

3.8 PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA 42 

3.8.2. Location and Size 42 

3.8.3. Population Structure 44 

3.8.4. Physical Characteristics 44 

3.8.5. Climatic Conditions 44 

3.8.6. Economic Activities 45 

3.9. Study Limitations 47 

3.10. Conclusion 48 

CHAPTER FOUR 50 

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 49 

4.1 Introduction 49 

4.2 Socio-demographic and Economic Characteristics of Respondents 49 

4.3 Business Characteristics of the Restaurants 49 

4.4 Waste Generation Characteristics of Restaurants 53 

4.4.1 Tracking of Waste Streams 53 

4.4.2 Collection of Waste from Restaurants 58 

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4.5 WASTE SEPARATION ACTIVITIES 60 

4.5.1 Knowledge and Practice of Waste Separation Activities 61 

4.6 ECO-FRIENDLY PACKAGING AND SERVING OPTIONS 66 

4.6.1 Use of Eco-friendly Packaging and Serving Options 66 

4.6.2 Factors Constraining the Adoption of Eco-Friendly Packaging and Serving Options 70 

4.7 ABSENCE OF REGULATORY AND INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT 71 

4.8 CONCLUSION 73 

CHAPTER FIVE 74 

SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION 74 

5.1 INTRODUCTION 78 

5.2 Summary of Key Findings 78 

5.2.1 Absence of Waste Separation Agenda Specific to Restaurant Industry 74 

5.2.2 Limited Knowledge and Practice of Waste Separation amongst Restaurants 75 

5.2.3 Education is Significant to the Pursuit of Sustainable Waste Management Practices 75 

5.2.4 Environmental and Economic Benefits as Major Factors for Waste Separation 75 

5.2.5 Implementation Costs as Main Constraining Factor for the Adoption of Eco-Friendly 

Packaging and Services 76 

5.3 CONCLUSION 76 

5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS 77 

REFERENCES 81 

APPENDICES 91 

APPENDIX A: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RESTAURANT PERSONNEL 91 

APPENDIX B: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR RESOURCE PERSON AT THE MUNICIPAL 

ASSEMBLY 98 

APPENDIX C: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR WASTE COLLECTORS IN THE 

MUNICIPALITY 100 

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LIST OF TABLES 

Table 2.1 R-10 Strategies in the Circular Economy. ............................................................. 15 

Table 2.2 Categories of food services in Ghana ………………………………………………… 22 

Table 3.1 Sample determination for Selected Respondents ................................................... 41 

Table 3.2: Linkages between Research Objectives, Methods of Data Collection and 

Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 41 

Table 4.1: Socio-demographic and Economic Characteristics of Respondents ..................... 50 

Table 4.2: Categories of Restaurants ................................................................................... 51 

Table 4.3: Years of restaurant’s Operation ........................................................................... 52 

Table 4.4: Results of Pearson’s Chi Test on Restaurants’ Years of Operation and Waste 

Tracking Activities ............................................................................................................. 54 

Table 4.5: Results of Pearson’s Chi Test on Managers’ Years of Experience and Waste 

Tracking Activities .............................................................................................................. 54 

Table 4.6: Knowledge of Volume of Generated Waste ......................................................... 56 

Table 4.7: Efforts to Reduce Generated Waste ..................................................................... 57 

Table 4.8: Results of Pearson’s Chi Test on Grade of Restaurants and Efforts to Reduce 

Waste Generation ................................................................................................................ 58 

Table 4.9: Waste Collection Frequency ............................................................................... 60 

Table 4.10 Waste collection Service Providers for Recyclables ............................................ 63 

Table 4.11: Results of Pearson’s Chi Test on Level of Education and Waste separation at 

Source ................................................................................................................................. 64 

Table 4.12: Willingness to Adopt Eco-Friendly Packaging and Serving Options .................. 67 

Table 4.13: Results of Pearson Chi Test on Managers Years of Experience and willingness to 

Adopt Eco-friendly Alternatives .......................................................................................... 68 

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LIST OF FIGURES 

Figure 2.1: Conceptual Framework on the Adoption of Circular Economy stakeholders in 

Madina of La Nkwantanang Municipality. ........................................................................... 34 

Figure 4.1: Ownership of Restaurants .................................................................................. 53 

Figure 4.2: Restaurants that Track Generated Waste ............................................................ 53 

Figure 4.3: Characteristic Daily Waste Materials of the Restaurants ..................................... 57 

Figure 4.4: Waste Separation Practices Amongst the Restaurants ......................................... 61 

Figure 4.5: Influencing Factors for Waste Separation in Madina .......................................... 65 

Figure 4.6: Decision to Separate Waste if Proven Beneficial ................................................ 66 

Figure 4.7: Eco-friendly Strategies to Adopt ........................................................................67 

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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 

 

 
CE Circular Economy 

DOI Diffusion of Innovation 

EHSD Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate 

EHSU Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit 

EPA Environmental Protection Agency 

EU European Union 

FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation 

GAMA Greater Accra Metropolitan Assembly 

GSA Ghana Standard Authority 

GTA Ghana Tourism Authority 

ISWM Integrated Sustainable Waste Management 

MC Moisture Content 

MMDAs Metropolitan, Municipal/District Assembly 

MSW Municipal Solid Waste 

MSWM Municipal Solid Waste Management 

LANMMA  La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly 

OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 

PPPs Public-Private Partnerships 

SD Sustainable Development 

SDGs Sustainable Development Goals 

SWM Solid Waste Management 

UNICEF United Nations Children's Fund 

WH Waste Hierarchy 

WCED World Commission on Environment and Development 

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CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1 Background 

As countries attain higher levels of economic development and urbanisation, country and city 

administrators are bound to face the increasing complexities of waste management (Hoornweg 

& Bhada-Tata, 2012). Waste, when not properly managed, has devastating effects on the 

environment, on public health and on the economy of a country. Aside the destructive 

consequences of poorly managed waste, the world has transitioned into an era where 

sustainability and environmental awareness have become a predominant concern for many and 

is therefore attracting massive attention. Consequently, efficient waste management is 

progressively becoming a global matter; one of dire importance and a vital aspect of city and 

town management in countries around the world. Despite the efforts of developing countries 

to keep up with international standards of sanitation, they are faced with many complexities 

with regards to efficient waste management. Ghana is no exception. 

“Waste” is defined as materials that are not prime products (that is, products produced for the 

market) for which the generator has no further use in terms of his/her own purposes of 

production, transformation or consumption, and of which he/she wants to dispose (OECD, 

2008). “Waste” is thus considered respectively to be the product or end product of the 

production and consumption process (The Cadmus Group, 2005). Waste generation is a result 

of economic activity (production and consumption) through any of the three basic sectors: the 

primary, secondary and tertiary. These sector categorisations represent a continuum of distance 

from the natural environment - beginning with primary economic activity. At this stage, a 

population’s needs are met using raw materials from the earth. For instance, through agriculture 

or mining. Towards the end of this continuum is the tertiary sector, which is the most detached 

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from the processing of raw materials and includes activities like tourism, banking and 

transportation (Rosenberg, 2017). The further a country moves away from the primary sector, 

the more waste will be generated and the more diverse the composition of this waste will be. 

Consequently, developed economies tend to generate more waste than upcoming and 

transitioning economies (Hoornweg & Bhada-Tata, 2012). This implies that economic growth 

inevitably brings on an increase in waste generation. However, the processes of economic 

growth and waste generation can be decoupled as proven by countries like Japan, France, 

Canada, Germany and Hungary (OECD, 2009, OECD, 2019). 

Economic systems operate within the larger environmental system – therefore there are 

constant and notable interactions between these two systems. When material inputs are made 

into any sector of the economy, they are returned to the environment as different forms of waste 

(Asafu-Adjaye, 2005,). In their broad categorisations, these wastes could be solid or 
 

liquid. A further classification of solid wastes will place these materials into classes of 

municipal solid waste, industrial waste, agricultural waste and hazardous waste (United 

Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2002). The rest of this 

thesis focuses primarily on municipal solid waste, its management and reduction of its negative 

impacts on the environment. 

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is non-liquid waste generated from households, public 

facilities, small businesses and other institutions (United Nations Economic and Social 

Commission for Asia and the Pacific, 2002). The major components are food waste, paper, 

plastic, rags, metal and glass - although demolition and construction debris are often included 

in collected waste. There are also small quantities of hazardous waste, such as electric light 

bulbs, batteries, automotive parts and discarded medicines and chemicals included in MSW 

(ibid). In developing economies, MSW is generally defined as the waste produced in a 

municipality (Tanmoy et al, 2012). Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) deals with 

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the collection, transfer, resource recovery, recycling and treatment of waste. The sole objective 

of MSWM is to ensure that the health of the population is protected, to promote environmental 

quality and to develop sustainability (Henry et al., 2006). Key approaches adopted in SWM 

include: reduction of waste being generated, deep burial, open space burning, landfills, 

recycling and reuse, mulching and composting. McDougall, White, Franke, & Hindle (2001) 

argued the point above, by conceptualizing SWM to involve waste reduction, re-use, recycle, 

incinerate and safe disposal of the residual at landfills. 

Through research and innovation, there is a gradual shift in the use of potentially harmful 

materials in production and manufacturing processes so that there is less waste to be dealt with 

in the first place (McDonough & Braungart, 2010). Besides modifications in product design, 

innovative techniques and concepts are being applied in all the other stages of processing to 

make waste management more efficient; this basically, sums up the concept of a Circular 

Economy (CE). It is worth noting these progressive changes have mostly been observed in 

developed countries. 

High income countries, have made much progress in the waste management field; adopting 

strategies like the circular economy (Stahel, 2016) or Integrated Sustainable Waste 

Management (ISWM) models. Middle- and low-income countries are however still grappling 

with waste operations. Typically, waste management operations cost the average African city 

between 20-50% of their budgets yet only 20-80% of their wastes are collected (Adebayo Bello 

& bin Ismail, 2016). Considering that the total quantity of waste generated in Sub Saharan 

Africa is expected to triple by 2050 (Kaza et al., 2018), the situation could not be more dire. 

Open dumping is currently the norm in this region; with over two-thirds of waste being 

dumped in roads, open land, or waterways (ibid). Urgent action is needed to salvage the 

situation and to mitigate the impact of future waste growth (ibid). 

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1.2 Problem Statement 

 

 
 

One extremely vital step in the adoption of more sustainable waste management models is the 

preliminary activity of waste separation. Waste separation is particularly helpful in managing 

already generated waste in the system (Tchobanoglous & Kreith, 2002). Waste separation at 

source is a rather common phenomenon in countries that are efficiently managing waste; 

mostly being done at generation level before the work of waste collection services begin. 

Household level separation of waste is highly encouraged in high income countries. 

Considering that 82% of MSW generated in Europe is from households (Tanmoy et al, 2012, 

Eurostat, 2013), it is only prudent that sustainable waste operations are encouraged and 

practised at this stage. Segregating waste allows for resource efficiency by promoting 2 R’s of 

the 2008 Action Plan adopted by G8 ministers – these are reuse and recycle (OECD,2009). 

For high income countries, efforts to encourage waste segregation transcend the household 

level even to the commercial and industrial sectors; including the food and hospitality 

industries (Jamal et al, 2019). 

The food and hospitality industries are major contributors to many economies due to 

international tourism growth, growing middle class and general lifestyle changes (Jan, 2019). 

Also, due to women’s (who are usually the homemakers) increased participation in the labour 

force, long working hours and the convenience which restaurants offer, the commercial food 

service sector is rapidly growing around the world (Elmedulan, 2014). In many high- income 

countries, this sector is not left out in the efforts to sustainably manage waste; seeing that they 

produce quite a significant amount of it. For instance, each year, a typical Australian 

restaurant generates up to 17.5m³ of waste per employee (EPA,2016). An estimated 62% of 

this is food waste, 18% paper and cardboard, 4% mixed recycling, 4% in plastic wrap, bags 

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and plastic containers and 12% of other materials including textiles, wood, steel and residual 

waste (ibid). This implies that at least 80% of generated waste from Australian restaurants 

could be recycled or recovered and not end up in a landfill. Through deliberate initiatives, like 

using eco-friendly materials for packaging and serving, the amounts of waste generated in high 

income countries are reduced and reusable materials are reintegrated into the system. Just like 

at the household level, waste segregation at source is encouraged with the activities of 

commercial food vendors (Jamal et al, 2019). In Ghana, the food and hospitality sectors are 

under-researched; posing a major significant social challenge – firstly because of its sheer 

immensity and also because of the scarcity of data related to the field.   

Over the years, the research that has been conducted on waste management practices in 

Ghana has been aimed at gaining understanding and finding solutions to the country’s waste 

issues. A majority of the investigations tend to focus on the household level; enquiring on 

people’s perceptions and attituded towards waste and their willingness to adopt more 

sustainable practice in their homes (Kyere et al, 2019; Miezah et al, 2015; Gyimah et al, 

2019; Oduro-Kwarteng et al, 2016; Douti et al, 2017). Consequently, research findings and 

their subsequent policy changes are specific to waste management operations at the 

household level. The contributions of commercial food vendors towards municipal waste are 

disregarded even though restaurants and eateries keep emerging around the country – thus, 

are very significant. The neglect of this sector could be partly attributed to the fact that the 

food, hospitality and tourism industries are up and coming and therefore are not particularly 

well-ordered. However, their contribution to the overall economy cannot be overemphasised 

and thus must not be overlooked.  

Beyond the general absence of data, Ghana’s sanitation situation proves even more 

problematic. In 2015, Ghana was ranked the 7th dirtiest country in the world according to a 

report by UNICEF; reflective of the country’s poor standing in issues regarding sustainable 

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waste operations (UNICEF, 2015). Whilst reliable or recent data on the amount and 

composition of waste generated by the Sub-Saharan country is absent, it is estimated that about 

3000 tonnes of solid waste is generated in Ghana daily (Miezah et al, 2015). Approximately, 

67% of this waste is organic in nature and 22% recyclable. These include textiles, rubber, 

plastics, metals and glass (ibid). Three-quarters of the daily generated waste are sent to public 

dumps or are burnt and a strikingly low 2% is recycled (ibid). An indication of the poorly 

managed waste is characteristically observed in the metropolises and municipalities. The 

streets of the capital city, Accra, are inundated with solid waste; landfills are filled beyond 

their capacities, heaps of rubbish are seen in open public spaces like markets and sewage 

systems are choked with garbage - which subsequently bring on secondary challenges like 

flooding and disease. Most of these challenges could be avoided and even further, solid waste 

could be capitalised on for economic benefit - as 86% of Ghana’s generated waste is readily 

recoverable and valued at GHC 83 billion per annum (UNDP,2019). Incidentally, these 

economic benefits cannot be realised without the implementation of a more sustainable model 

of waste management; one which goes beyond the linear-economy or cradle-to-grave system 

which is currently largely practised in Ghana. 

The Circular Economy of waste management is a fairly recent concept which is quickly gaining 

traction globally. Fundamentally, the idea looks beyond the current “take-use-discard” 

extractive industrial model by focussing on three main principles: designing out waste and 

pollution, keeping products and materials in use and regenerating natural systems (Ellen 

MacArthur Foundation, 2017). Rather than a cradle-to-grave approach, the concept espouses 

the “cradle-to-cradle” method. The adoption of the latter in a rapidly developing and 

urbanising country like Ghana could prove extremely beneficial for the country’s overall socio- 

economic development. However, developing a strategy that will derive benefit from waste 

must be underpinned by thorough research. Innovation and behavioural change are also vital 

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elements for the success of the circular economy approach of waste management. As with 

changing culture through innovation, its diffusion may appear challenging at the initial stages 

but eventually, and with some effort, the general public picks up on the trend. This thesis 

explores the prospect of introducing measures that promote a circular economy in 

municipalities, particularly amongst commercial food vendors and the challenges that may 

arise with their implementation. 

The immensity of Ghana’s food vending industry cannot be understated. Aside conventional 

international-standard restaurants, street food vendors are regulars on the Ghanaian cultural 

scene. From little kiosks on street corners to local restaurants (usually referred to as chop-bars), 

there is an abundance of eateries around the country. The unorganised nature of the sector 

makes it difficult to assess the actual number of commercial food services in Ghana. According 

to one study, as of 2013, there were 203 licensed restaurants in the Greater Accra Region - 

representing 61% of all licensed restaurants in Ghana (Omari et al, 2013). Like with general 

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waste management issues in Ghana, there is very limited data to determine how much waste 

these restaurants produce. Normally, however, the choice of packaging for food and waste 

disposal practices of these eateries are not sustainable. For one, whereas there are traditionally 

eco-friendly options like using leaves or paper bags as wrappers for food, more vendors have 

now moved towards the use of plastic bags or styrofoam containers due to concerns for hygiene 

and convenience; rather to the detriment of the environment. The absence of a system where 

food waste and packaging could be collected and recycled or reused makes the use of these 

problematic. The result is an increase in the negative externalities related to food and plastic 

waste. Considering that commercial food services contribute a great deal to a nation’s waste 

issues, it is prudent to look into the habits and possibilities of sustainable practices for food 

vendors.  

This research aims to fill this knowledge gap regarding waste management and its  drivers in 

the food sector, particularly in Madina of the La Nkwantamamg Madina Municipality. 

The La Nkwantanang Municipal Assembly (LANMMA), like many other Metropolitan, 

Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Accra 

(GAMA), faces many challenges with collected Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). MSW is waste 

collected and treated by or for municipals. It covers waste from households including bulky 

waste, similar waste from commerce and trade, office buildings, institutions and small 

businesses, yards and gardens, street sweepings, content of litter containers and market 

cleansing (OECD, 2020). LANMMA waste collectors currently do not engage in solid waste 

segregation at source or waste recovery. Once waste is collected, it is sent off to the Kpone 

Katamanso landfill site for final disposal. 

The Kpone Katamanso landfill site, which was previously managed by the Tema Metropolitan 

Assembly (TMA) has now been turned over to the private waste management organisation, 

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ZoomLion 1. The landfill was opened in 2012 and was meant to accept 500 cubic tonnes of 

waste daily from the Tema area. The reality of this is different. The landfill currently receives 

waste in excess of 1,500 cubic tonnes including municipal waste from neighbouring 

municipalities like LANMMA2. The facility is now overburdened by the sheer amount of 

waste received as its lateral land space has been exhausted and air space has reached alarming 

levels. Not only is this aesthetically unappealing, but it also poses major public health risks as 

is evidenced by the rising number of residents reporting to health facilities with throat disease 

(ibid). This scenario unfortunately presents a rather characteristic depiction of the state of 

many landfill sites in Ghana. In 2017, the incumbent administration pledged to make Accra 

the cleanest city in Africa by the end of their 4th year in office (Graphic Online, 2017). This is 

a huge feat to accomplish seeing as Ghana’s international rankings on sanitation is extremely 

poor. To realise this goal, Accra city managers must come up with innovative and practical 

ways to not only eliminate mismanaged waste which is already in the system, but also to 

reduce the amount of Municipal Solid Waste which will be generated. Source Separation into 

various components is a vital first step in attaining an efficient waste management system and 

an option worth considering if indeed Accra will be transformed into a clean city. 

As earlier alluded to, the hospitality and food service industry under the tourism sector is 

arguably one of the fastest growing industries in Ghana. The LANMMA administration alone 

records over 800 food service providers in their jurisdiction (LANMMA Socio-economic 

Database Document, 2020). This is besides the numerous food vendors along the streets and in 

the heart of the commercial centre, Madina. Restaurants and food vendors generate a 

tremendous amount of solid waste: from kitchen waste and unsold food to the packaging of 

food and beverages, these businesses have the potential to create the most diverse forms of 

collected waste and this makes them, unquestionably, a great target for waste separation 

 
1 LANMMA Physical Planning Officer, 2021 
2 MyJoyOnline, 2019 

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activities. By separating biodegradable waste from non-biodegradable waste, LANMMA 

managers and waste collection services would be dealing with a major driver of poor sanitation 

that is linked to the Madina commercial centre and the municipality as a whole. They will also 

be taking the first step in pursuing Circular Economy practices, with its accompanying benefits, 

in their jurisdiction. 

1.3 Aims and Objectives of the Study 

The main aim of this study is to assess the waste separation behaviour of restaurants in Madina 

and factors that will influence the adoption of greener serving and packaging products. The 

objectives are as follows: 

● To assess restaurants personnel’s knowledge on the benefits of waste separation in 

Madina-LANMMA; 

● To determine the different restaurant groups that are involved in waste separation and 

those that are not in Madina-LANMMA; 

● To examine the determining factors of the adoption of waste separation in the 

restaurant industry of Madina-LANMMA; 

● To assess the factors constraining the adoption of eco-friendly food packaging and 

serving options among Madina-LANMMA restaurants. 

 

1.4 Research Questions 

● What knowledge do Madina-LANMMA restaurants have on the benefits of waste 

segregation? 

● Which group of Madina-LANMMA restaurants are involved in waste segregation and 

which are not? 

● What factors influence the adoption of waste segregation in Madina-LANMMA 

restaurants? 

● What factors constrain the adoption of eco-friendly food packaging and serving options 

practices in Madina-LANMMA restaurants? 

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1.5 Significance of the Study 

 
Despite the continuing rise in awareness of the need for more efficient waste management 

strategies and practices amongst Ghanaians, a large percentage of the population are still 

unaware of the need for and benefits of these (Godfrey et al,2019). In cases where people 

have knowledge of these, they are often unmotivated to separate their waste because there are 

typically no formal structures to support the practices at the local or national level. 

As reported by a staff member of the assembly’s sanitation department during an interview, the 

sanitation situation of the municipality is in a deplorable state. According to him, the public 

are not usually compliant with environmental and sanitation regulations. This presents one of 

the biggest challenges in the municipality’s administration as they continually have to deal with 

indiscriminate dumping of waste especially at Madina, the municipal’s busy commercial 

capital. 

This research would help gauge the appreciation level of a vital sustainable waste management 

practice (segregation) in a vital service industry by determining the extent of people’s 

knowledge of the practice. It would highlight if (and how) stakeholders are facilitating 

sustainability practices; and by extension how these stakeholders can do more. The results of 

this study could be valuable in guiding the decisions and actions of policy makers in the La- 

Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality. 

Also, by this singular study, the quality and efficiency of service delivery in solid waste 

management could be improved as dysfunctionalities in the system would be identified and 

recommendations would be made accordingly. Additionally, it would help establish whether 

the strategy of adopting eco-friendly services to reduce the voluminous amounts of generated 

solid waste in the municipality, will be well-received in the Madina hospitality industry. 

Besides, this study will prove if implementing circular economy practices would be a practical 

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and economically viable venture for the municipality. It would determine the Madina restaurant 

owners’ and manager’s willingness to adopt and participate in circular economy strategies; 

hence giving the Assembly evidence to either pursue or eschew these strategies. 

Considering that there is a general lack of data on waste management in Ghana, and even less 

on the tourism and food sector’s contribution to local and national waste generation (despite 

the fact that they generate so much waste), this study aims at closing a key knowledge gap in 

this sector and further opening up the discussion by considering practical ways of pursuing and 

implementation the concept of a circular economy to attain sustainability. 

 

1.6 Organisation of the Study 

There are five (5) chapters in this dissertation. Chapter One (1) includes the introduction, 

problem statement, objectives of the study, research questions and the significance of the study. 

Chapter Two (2) presents the literature review and the conceptual framework of the study. 

Chapter Three (3) highlights the methodology employed to carry out this study. Chapter Four 

(4) presents the key findings and Chapter Five (5) summarises the main findings and presents 

the conclusion and recommendations  

 

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LITERATURE REVIEW, THEORY AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 

 

 
2.1 INTRODUCTION 

This chapter explicates and conceptualises the relevant themes of the circular economy of waste 

management and waste separation through the review of pertinent literature. The meaning and 

scope of these concepts, their benefits and the practicality of its operationalisation in the study 

area will be reviewed in this chapter. Additionally, a review of the general food vending sector 

in Ghana will also be presented: their categorisations, national regulations on these businesses 

and the field’s contributions to the waste situation in the country. Lastly, a theoretical 

underpinning of the study will also be highlighted. 

 

2.2 CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY 

The Circular Economy (CE) is a fairly new concept with most of its definitions arising in the 

last decade. Owing to its novelty, the concept is rather fuzzy as according to Gladek, 2017, 

there is not a single group with the acknowledged authority to define exactly what a Circular 

Economy means. However, there is no denying that the concept is intrinsically tied to the 

Sustainable Development (SD) discourse. In fact, it can be described as a pathway and an 

operationalising strategy in the pursuit of sustainable development. Hence, businesses, 

organisations or entire regions can practically employ circular or closed looped economies as 

tools to attain SD (Ghisellini et al., 2016; Murray et al., 2017). 

Discourses on the CE have been developed by multiple actors - both in academia and by 

practitioners – therefore, there are some major distinctions in the definitions that have arisen. 

After analysing 114 definitions of the CE, one study highlights how the concept could mean 

different things to different groups of people (Kirchherr et al, 2017). The research further 

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categorises these nuances under 2 thematic areas: definitions that focus on the R-frameworks 

which predominantly focus on waste recovery and other definitions that emphasise a Systems 

Approach which focus on design and production as well (ibid). These 2 themes can be 

described as the core principles of the CE. 

 

The R-frameworks have been in existence for a few decades; giving proponents of this 

approach a solid claim that CE is founded on already established thoughts (Blomsma & 

Brennan,2017, p.611). The R-frameworks can be considered as a list of approaches that ideally 

must be adopted to sustainably manage waste. The most prominent R-framework is the 3-R 

framework. Here, the three 3-Rs stand for reduce, reuse and recycle. Subsequently, the 

European Commission came up with the 4-R framework which introduced a 4th R that stands 

for recover (European Commission, 2008). The 4-Rs form the crux of the European Union’s 

(EU) Waste Framework Directive. Yet, in recent times, the most elaborate R-framework is the 

10-R framework as presented in Table 2.1. The framework was developed by Ellen MacArthur 

(2013) aimed at promoting the idea of a circular economy. The 10-R framework is more 

nuanced but is in fact far less referred to, both in theory and in practice, as compared to the 

lower R-frameworks (Reike et al, 2018). A number of the R-imperatives in the 10-R 

framework were added post-2010; when literature on CE proliferated within the space of five 

(5) years (ibid). After an analysis of 69 articles on value retention options, Reike et al (2018) 

provide a synthesis of 10 value retention options (or the 10 R-framework) and their 

implications for academia, policymaking and business. It is however imperative to note that, 

more R-imperatives keep arising and do differ from one sector to another Additionally, various 

authors and groups in diverse fields assign different attributes to the various R-s; resulting in 

divergent conceptualisations of the CE principle in literature. The 10-R framework as 

elaborated in Table 2.1 is a variation of Reike et al’s (2018) framework as presented 

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by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (2017). It starts with R-0 (refuse) 

through to R-9 (recovery). The lower R strategies are more preferable and most referred to in 

the sustainability discourse.  

Table 2.1: R-10 Strategies in the Circular Economy 

TYPE R# NAME STRATEGY 

 
Smarter product use 

and manufacture 

 
R0 

 
Refuse 

 

Make product redundant by abandoning its function or by 

offering the same function with a radically different product 

 
R1 

 
Rethink 

 
Make product use more intensive (e.g., through sharing 

products, or by putting multi-functional products on the 

market) 

 
R2 

 
Reduce 

 

Increase efficiency in product manufacture or use by 

consuming fewer natural resources and materials 

 

 
Extend the lifespan of 

the products or its 

parts 

 
R3 

 
Re-use 

 

Re-use by another consumer of discarded product which is still 

in good condition and fulfils its original function 

 
R4 

 
Repair 

 

Repair and maintenance of defective product so it can be used 

with its original function 

 
R5 

 
Refurbish 

 
Restore an old product and bring it up to date 

 
R6 

 
Remanufacture 

 

Use parts of a discarded product in a new product with the 

same function 

 
R7 

 
Repurpose 

 

Use discarded product or its parts in a new product with a 

different function 

Useful application of 

materials 
 

R8 
 

Recycle 

 

Process materials to obtain the same (high grade) or (lower 

grade) quality 

 
R9 

 
Recover 

 
Incineration of materials with energy recovery 

 

Source: Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving | Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2017, pp46 

 

 
The term “waste hierarchy” is sometimes used interchangeably with the “R-strategies”. It 

denotes a preferential order of waste treatment options aimed at reducing environmental 

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impacts by prioritising the strategies for implementing the R-imperatives (Hultman and 

Corvellec, 2012). Dijkgraaf and Vollebergh, (2004), describe it as a tool in evaluating the waste 

management process and in many developed countries, it serves as a guide for waste 

management. According to Gamberini et al (2014), Directive 2008/98/EC specifies principles 

for mitigating the negative effects of waste generation and treatment, reducing its negative 

impact on human health, the atmosphere, and natural resource scarcity. Waste Hierarchy (WH) 

is the subject of Article 4 of the Directive, which specifies five actions to be developed in a 

particular order of priority based on their importance for proper waste management. (1) 

Prevention; (2) Preparing for re-use; (3) Recycling; (4) Other recovery; and (5) Disposal are 

the five actions listed. This hierarchy is illustrated using an inverted pyramid; with the vertex 

upturned and separated into five horizontal layers. The waste hierarchy aims to avoid the 

generation of excesses of waste and to obtain the maximum benefits from resources or products 

by diverting waste from landfills (Ewijk & Stegemann, 2014). When properly applied, the 

waste hierarchy can be highly beneficial to all aspects of socio-economic and environmental 

development; particularly by reducing pollution and the emission of greenhouse gases, 

conserving resources and energy, stimulating the development of green technologies and 

improving livelihoods by creating jobs (Wijkman & Skånberg, 2015; Korhonen et al, 2018). 

2.2.2. The Systems Thinking Approach 

The systems thinking approach is another core principle in CE discourses. This perspective 

advocates for an overhauling of systems already in place that encourage material production 

that increases waste. It enjoins a systemic reform of human activities in order to transition to 

the CE system (Yuan et al, 2008, p.5; Kirchherr et al (2017) are of the view that, definitions of 

the CE have significantly changed perspectives unto the systems approach since the year 2012. 

Thinking systemically involves seeing the bigger picture i.e., identifying connections between 

the different parts of the system, understanding patterns that exist between them and engaging 

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different perspectives on the issue (Bassi et al, 2021; Boardman & Sauser, 2006). More 

definitions of the CE are acknowledging the fact that the world is complex and interconnected 

hence solutions need to be more comprehensive (Meadow, 1982). Consequently, in recent 

times, more writers are adducing to the shift in advocacy for the system’s approach rather than 

the R-framework alone. 

The R-imperatives usually provide solutions for waste already in the system by reintroducing 

“waste” materials into the supply chain and keeping them in use. This approach is reductionist 

as it only deals with a section of the waste problem, thus, is less impactful (Viva et al, 2020). 

However, the systems approach, which involves other elements like a change in production 

design; change in consumer preferences and the discussion and adoption of the CE at 

international levels, is more effective because of its holistic approach to waste management. 

Writers are advocating more for the systems approach because it presents a broader view of a 

system’s interrelations and its embedding context and thus, facilitates innovative solutions to 

complex problems (ibid). 

2.2.3 Objectives of the Circular Economy 

The ultimate objective of the CE, despite the different contextualising accounts, remain the 

same i.e., Sustainable Development (Ghisellini et al., 2016; Ellen MacArthur Foundation; 

2013). The term ‘sustainable development’ was coined by the World Commission of 

Environment and Development (WCED) in 1987. The Commission’s report ‘Our Common 

Future’ (otherwise known as the Brundtland Report) defines sustainable development as 

“development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future 

generations to meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987). With the introduction of “future 

generations”, this definition introduces a time element to SD in addition to the three main 

pillars attributed to SD - the economic, environmental and social pillars. These elements are 

all interconnected and ideally must be pursued simultaneously. The concept of the CE, which 

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is inherently tied to SD, can be said to espouse these notions as well - hence pursues these as 

the targets for the circular economy (Bassi et al, 2021; Winans et al, 2017; Korhonen et al, 

2018). 

For the purposes on this thesis, it should be highlighted that waste separation, which is being 

explored here, falls more appropriately under the R-frameworks as the point of waste separation 

is to the end that wastage of resources can be reduced (R2) so materials can be repurposed (R7) 

or recycled (R8). 

 

2.3 WASTE SEPARATION 

Waste separation (otherwise known as waste sorting or waste segregation) involves collecting 

“wet waste” (food waste, organic matter) and “dry waste” (recyclables), and possibly other 

streams of waste into different containers (Hoornweg & Bhada-Tata, 2012). The extent and 

intensity of separation varies over regions globally with local regulations determining how and 

if waste is separated at all (ibid). According to a report by Kaza et al, 2018, waste separation 

in low-income countries is significantly lower than in higher-income countries with very little 

or no regulations on waste separation in these territories. Again, the World Bank report 

indicates that, in low-income countries, over 90% of waste is often disposed in unregulated 

dumps or openly burned. Low-income countries collect about 48 percent of waste in cities, but 

this proportion drops drastically to 26 percent outside of urban areas. Out of the amount of 

waste collected, only 4% is separated while Europe and Central Asia and North America collect 

at least 90 percent of waste and separate 38% of it (ibid). 

Waste separation in lower-income countries is usually done by informal waste pickers who are 

largely motivated by the monetary benefits that segregating offers (ibid). Not being in formally 

organised groups and without the backing of sound waste management policies make the work 

of these pickers less impactful (Kaza et al, 2018). In low-income administrations, MSW is not 

typically sorted before disposal as done in more developed countries; rather recyclable or 

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reusable materials are picked after the collection process or at the final disposal sites (ibid). A 

major drawback of this method of sorting is the poor quality of salvaged secondary materials 

and a likely reduction in the total amount of materials recovered. Sorting mixed wastes post- 

disposal is additionally taxing due to the contamination of recovered waste; which eventually 

reduces the marketing possibilities. Source separation and separate collection of waste streams 

present extra costs in the waste management process but eventually there is added value and a 

greater impact for promoting a circular economy on the whole. In fact, waste separation is a 

realistic indicator of the presence and practice of the circular economy of waste managemet. 

2.3.2. Waste Separation at Source and Waste Characterisation 

Despite the numerous benefits attributed to waste separation at source, not many developing 

countries have incorporated this activity in the management of their MSW. In India, 

Construction and Demolition debris (C&D), plastic wastes, commercial and industrial refuses, 

and e-waste are all disposed of in almost no segregated manner (Buenrostro & Bocco, 2003). 

In most countries in the Sub-Saharan region, source separation is at the very early stages. Even 

in cases where source separation is observed, it is usually at the household rather than at 

commercial levels. 

The success of waste separation strategies is largely dependent on public acceptance which can 

be measured by the public’s participation rate. The sway that local stakeholders hold cannot be 

ignored in waste separation decision-making processes as this group is both the subject and 

object of waste management services (Garnett and Copper, 2014). The performance of waste 

separation could be dependent on a number of factors including culture, social background or 

demographic features like age, income level, the type of households/businesses amongst others 

(Meidiana et al, 2017). Identification and thorough knowledge of the determining factors of 

waste separation, especially the reasons why it is effective within a particular local area, can 

be extremely beneficial in designing a successful waste separation scheme (ibid). Bearing in 

mind that there are major differences in every region, local situation and business makes 

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designing a waste separation scheme more relevant. This also implies that even though the 

scheme might be successful in one vicinity, its success may not be replicated in another. 

The issue of waste separation is closely tied to waste characterization which involves analysing 

waste streams to determine the quantity of solid waste generated and its composition (EPA – 

Ireland, 1996). Waste stream analysis involves a logical and systematic approach to obtaining 

and analysing data on one or more waste streams or sub-streams (ibid). Waste characterisation 

is extremely relevant to waste separation as data gathered helps in planning effective waste 

recovery interventions and helps to ascertain the true value of the recovered waste. 

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) amounts and characteristics vary not only by nation, but also 

by area and neighbourhood, even within the same city. These variations are influenced by 

people's socioeconomic status, income level, consumption, and use patterns (Banar and Ozkan, 

2008). A thorough understanding of the characterization of solid wastes to be disposed of is 

needed for an effective MSW management system. Physical characteristics of solid wastes are 

important factors in the selection and operation of storage and transportation equipment, energy 

conversion, recoverable matter studies, and the selection and design of proper disposal methods 

(Fudala-Ksiazek et al., 2016). Because of their heterogeneous nature, solid waste management 

may present some peculiar challenges. As a result, physical characteristics of solid wastes - 

such as moisture content, calorific value, higher heating values (HHV) and composition - 

should be well understood in order to treat them effectively. Solid wastes have Moisture 

Content (MC) ranging from 15% to 40%. Although there is a wide range of MC due to regional 

characteristics and socioeconomic structure, the average MC is estimated to be 20% 

(Tchobanoglous, 1993). According to the literature (Hui, 2006), MC can exceed 60–70% from 

time to time, depending on solid waste composition and climate conditions, among other 

factors. Calorific value is a significant parameter that is a determinant in the design of 

procedures, such as combustion, widely used for the recovery of solid wastes, and it is closely 

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related to MC. Proper knowledge and application of waste separation and characterisation will 

most likely facilitate effective planning and implementation of CE strategies. 

2.4 OVERVIEW OF THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY IN GHANA 

The hospitality industry, particularly food services, is often one of the most undervalued 

industries in less-economically developed countries. Administrators of national and municipal 

jurisdictions may either be unaware of the potential the industry carries in contributing towards 

the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or may otherwise have prioritised other industries 

which they assume more pressing. Consequently, the food industry in low-income countries is 

underdeveloped; lacking adequate infrastructure, skilled labour and the appropriate technology 

to enhance operations and outcomes (Affum and Wang, 2019). The food industry in developed 

countries, however, presents a different scenario; debunking any likely misconceptions of 

unprofitability of the industry to national development (ibid). In the United States of America 

(USA) alone, the industry has over the past 60 years seen an exponential increase – with a total 

GDP contribution of 25% in 1955 to 48% by 2017 (ibid). 

 

The service sector in Ghana is growing rapidly and this can be attributed to a myriad of reasons. 

According to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (2018), the service sector 

contributed 54.6% to GDP in 2015, 56.8% in 2016 and 55.9% in 2017 alone. On one hand, this 

growth can be attributed to globalisation and exposure to western civilisation - whose service 

provision industry is much further developed – have affected the preferences and expectations 

of Ghanaian consumers. Consumers are hence less likely to compromise on quality and expect 

value for their money (Berry, 2018). 

 

Another reason that accounts for the growth in the service sector is the nature of policies being 

pursued in the political arena in the bid to close inequality gaps and to raise the standard of 

living of people Amin (2003). These policies include reducing the cost of doing business in 

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Ghana which promotes investor confidence in the country. Other policies include; on-going 

privatisation in key economic sectors like the hospitality industry (KPMG, 2020). 

These political strategies have significantly increased the percentage of the middle working 

classes; with more people gaining an appreciable level of income and being able to afford more 

extravagant lifestyles including eating out frequently (Adam & Dercon, 2009) 

2.4.2. Categorisations of the Food Service Industry in Ghana 

For the purposes of this dissertation, the food services industry refers to out-of-home eating 

options which include restaurants, canteens, fast food joints and catering houses. These are re- 

categorised into 3 groups following the work of Affum & Wang (2019): traditional food 

services, semi-advanced food services and advanced food services as shown in Figure 2.1. 

 

Table 2.1: Categories of Food Services in Ghana  

Source: Adapted and modified from Affum & Wang (2019) 

 
Street food vending largely falls under the traditional food service sector in Column 1(C1). 

According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), street food is any ready-to-eat 

food or beverage sold and sometimes prepared in outdoor public spaces (e.g. streets, squares, 

parks, open-air markets, etc.) by vendors or cooks, either itinerant or stationary, either on foot 

or from mobile outlets (e.g. vans, carts, bicycles), removable outlets (e.g. stalls), fixed outlets 

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without indoor space to accommodate consumers (e.g. kiosks or take-away shop with kitchen 

overlooking the street) (FAO, 2016). This kind of street food business has proliferated over the 

last few decades; particularly as a result of urbanisation. 

Fast food services in Ghana usually fall under Column 2 (C2). The original concept of fast- 

food is a cheap and quick western style meals for people on the move. However, for developing 

countries like Ghana, there has been a major reconceptualisation as fast-food services have 

become places where people not only go to eat, but also sit and socialise (Yan, 2005; Traphagan 

& Brown, 2002). Besides, fast food services in Ghana cannot be considered as particularly 

cheap. In fact, being able to frequent such eateries as against those in the C1 grouping implicitly 

implies that C2 service users are of a certain status and hence there is a certain prestige attached 

to frequenting such places. Coupled with the overhead costs of running such eateries, these 

venues and the services they provide tend to be more expensive to patronise. Another distinct 

feature of such eateries is that in more recent years, they have gone beyond the western inspired 

foods and there has been an infusion of African dishes, oriental meals and other cultural 

influences – a form of hybridisation (Yamashita & Eades, 2002). The diversity being provided 

is significantly changing the face and nature of the dining-out experience in Ghana. 

Finally, there are the advanced food services as characterised in Column 3 (C3). These are 

largely on the rise with the advent of technology and social media. More food businesses have 

taken to social media platforms and delivery services which provide a wider market for their 

services. Aside their sophistication through the use of technology, the presentation and 

packaging options of this last category are usually better and well branded to promote their 

businesses. 

The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) defines a restaurant as “any establishment, well- 

appointed and formally fitted, for the preparation and serving of food and beverage for 

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consumption on the premises” (Ghana Standards Authority, 2009, p25). The Authority outlines 

a set of requirements for restaurants in the Ghana Standards Catalogue (GS 965–1:2009). They 

must have facilities such as dining rooms, kitchens, cold rooms, washing up areas or pantries 

with running water and drainage, guests and staff toilets, and services such as waiter and self- 

service. These establishments are registered under the formal sector and are different from 

traditional setting restaurants known as “chop-bars” or unsanctioned food joints in that they 

are more structured and have been “modernised”. Only after meeting these criteria will the 

establishment qualify for an operational licence.  

definition of a restaurant will be adopted but also broadened to include food establishments 

with properties which fall under the C1 and C2 groups in Table 2.1 above. Therefore, street 

food vending will be included in the operational definition of “restaurant” in this paper. 

The Ghana Tourism Authority also introduces a grading system; not only for restaurants but 

also for hotel facilities (GTA, 2015). Regulations, 1979 (L.I 1205) specify issues that have to 

do with lighting, ventilation, display of rates, and a properly maintained facility in a good state 

of repair and a properly maintained drainage system. Other topics addressed in the L.I.1205 

are the comfort of the guest - including the provision of clearly marked toilets and baths, the 

provision of the lift where the facility is more than three floors and the provision of alternative 

lighting devices in the event of power failure. Other provisions in the regulation take care of 

the health needs of the guests. Hotel gradings are however better known and consumers are 

more aware of these when choosing lodging and accommodation facilities. A recognised 

framework for grading the food service industry, especially for consumer purposes, is in reality 

practically non-existent in Ghana (Ababio and Lovatt, 2015). This makes it slightly more 

challenging to assess the performance of eateries and their compliance to hygiene and 

environmental standards. (Kissi & Owusu Mintah, 2015) 

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In other parts of the world, consumers are able to make informed choices with regards to dining 

options based on the knowledge and use of grading systems; some of which are known the 

world over (Surlemont & Johnson, 2005). The Michelin Guide - originating from France - is a 

prime example of a grading system for haute-cuisine in Europe (Johnson, Surlemont, Nicod & 

Revaz, 2005). Even though Ghanaian restaurants may not have such classifications in place, 

the advent of social media and the internet provides a platform for consumers to share their 

experiences, reviews and expectations of restaurant facilities with others. The pitfall of relying 

solely on individual experiences is that, there are no fixed standards that run across; neither are 

there any common indicators when assessing restaurants. Hence, quality management and 

quality assurance of the Ghanaian restaurant industry can be problematic (Kissi & Owusu- 

Mintah, 2015). 

2.4.3. Certification and Permits in the Ghanaian Food Sector 

In October 2016, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Ghana announced its intentions to 

introduce a grading system for eateries around the country with the aim of “giving consumers 

the opportunity to make informed choices whenever selecting food joints in the country [and] 

to foster healthy competition” while complying with hygienic standards (Food and Drugs 

Authority, 2016). According to the FDA, the authority charged with the responsibility of 

issuing Food Hygiene Permits to food operators, food establishments would be categorised 

“A”, “B” or “C” depending on how well they maintain their establishments – which includes 

maintaining floors, ceilings, drainage systems. Restaurants under Category A/ Grade 1 are safe, 

up to code and free of violations; Category B/ Grade 2 restaurants have some problems 

regarding the above-mentioned areas that need addressing; and Category C/Grade 3 restaurants 

may be dangerous to the public and could be on the verge of closure (ibid). 

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As prescribed by the laws of Ghana, all food vendors - including the C1 category - need to be 

properly licenced and annually inspected by officials in order to keep operating. Section 130 

of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851) states that: 

“A person shall not manufacture for sale, sell, supply or store product regulated 

under this Part (Food and Drugs) except in the premises registered for that purpose 

under this Part. An application for the registration or renewal of the registration of 

premises shall be made to the Food and Drugs Authority in the prescribed form and 

shall be accompanied with the prescribed fees”. 

At the institutional level, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) of the Ministry of Health 

(MOH); the Environmental Health and Sanitation Units (EHSUs) of the Municipal, 

Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) under the Environmental Health and 

Sanitation Directorate (EHSD) are all responsible for inspecting and regulating the activities 

of food vendors. All food hygiene and safety legislation are passed by Parliament of Ghana 

with the President's assent at the national level. Meanwhile, at the local level, MMDAs are 

legally recognised as local authorities with the authority to enact food hygiene and safety 

bylaws. The FDA and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) are both responsible for registering 

and inspecting catering businesses, while the EHSUs of MMDAs are in charge of protecting 

public health at the local level. As part of their duties, the EHSU also conducts food premises 

inspections and monitors the condition of food vendors' medical examinations. 

2.4.4. Criticisms Against the Food Service Industry in Ghana 

There have been many criticisms levelled against food services – top amongst them being the 

repercussions on public health and well-being, loss of cultural values and environmental 

pollution (which is most pertinent to this paper). 

Fast food services are perceived as a risk factor for obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes 

(Seubsman et al, 2009; Rosenheck, 2008; Pereira et al, 2005; Mahna et al, 2004) Research has 

shown that urban populations in Africa, Latin America and Asia have shown great spikes in 

diet-related ailments like obesity, Type-2 diabetes or cardiovascular problems; these which can 

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be linked to the establishment of corporate chain restaurants (e.g., Matejowsky, 2007; Popkin 

et al., 2002). The Ghana Health Service reports increasing statistics of these cases and it is 

believed that a shift from the typical high-fibre and unrefined-carbohydrates diets to highly- 

refined westernised diets could be a contributing factor to this menace (Ministry of Health, 

2013; Sanuade et al, 2018). 

The loss of traditional food cultures is another criticism levelled against the food service 

industry. Apparently, the establishment and abundance of non-traditional eateries threatens 

national cultures and identities (Harrington, 2005; Watson & Caldwell, 2007). This is however 

inevitable with the intensification of globalisation. One author argues that Ghana’s cultural 

food traditions and values have seen a constant decline in a period of a century and certain 

indigenous foods have permanently gone out of existence (Anquandah,2006; Mak et al, 2012) 

. It is however worth noting that attitudes are changing in this regard. There has been a surge 

in the restaurants and food services that provide and serve traditional foods but have introduced 

some innovative practices in their preparation and delivery. Hence there are “modern” 

restaurants providing indigenous food options and also encourage the use of local produce in 

their preparation. 

Finally, environmental pollution is another relevant issue that comes up in the discussion of the 

pitfalls of the catering industry - which is the major focus of this study. In the introductory 

chapter of this paper, reference was made to the contribution of the catering industry to 

environmental pollution through waste generation. The use of large volumes of plastics in the 

industry cannot be overlooked in the pursuit of sustainable development. Aside having to deal 

with littering and management of large volumes of municipal waste, there are secondary 

repercussions on the environment. These include flooding from blocked drains, pollution of 

beaches, loss of biodiversity and sanitation-related diseases like cholera (Omari, 2014). Ghana 

is currently in the throes of a plastic waste management menace and is struggling to find ways 

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to efficiently deal with it. In the last two (2) decades, Ghanaian food businesses have most 

favoured plastic materials for packaging food and this has immensely contributed to the rise in 

their proportions in the waste streams in Ghana (Fobil, 2000). The situation is worsened by the 

absence of interventions by national and local administrations that address the disposal issue. 

Meanwhile consumers continue to adopt an irresponsible plastic use and disposal culture 

which, in the long run, would have adverse effects on the economy as a whole. 

 

2.5 ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES IN RESTAURANTS 

The idea of eco-friendly restaurants is steadily gaining popularity in higher income countries 

(Dutta et al, 2008). The idea denotes a restaurant which is environmentally sustainable and 

takes conscious steps to reduce its impact on the environment by implementing various green 

practices - both in the administration of the business and in their food preparation and 

distribution/packaging. An eco-friendly restaurant would be concerned about the reduction of 

food waste in their businesses, waste recovery, adopting clean energy, improving inventory 

management to avoid excess orders and even introducing vegan menu options (Wang et al, 

2013). More restaurants in high income countries are pursuing the green restaurant agenda as 

studies show the many benefits that come along with it. Green restaurants can save businesses 

costs and boost sales and profits for instance through the installation of energy efficient 

appliances or investment in renewable energy (Johnson, 2009; Butler, 2008; Carbonara, 2007). 

Aside the economic benefits, green restaurants ultimately are advantageous to environmental 

protection (Tan & Yeap, 2012). Waste recovery interventions, minimising food waste and 

purchasing reusable supplies eventually reduce the residual waste that would be finally 

deposited back into the environment and gives city/town administrators less waste to manage 

thereby saving the national administration some resources (ibid). 

In places where green restaurants operate effectively, research has shown that consumers are 

willing to pay more for their services knowing that restaurants’ activities are environmentally 

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friendly (Namkung & Jang, 2017). This however boils down to consumers having knowledge 

and sound understanding of the benefits of having a healthy environment – a matter of dire 

importance in more developed countries (Hu et al, 2010). There are various motivations for 

running environmentally sustainable restaurants but economic benefits (for example profits to 

the business and saving business extra costs) are usually the main reasons for pursuing 

environmentalism is small businesses (Karim & Ismail, 2011). 

Ghana is still a long way away from operating such establishments, especially on a large scale, 

as the country is still in the early stages of pursuing environmental sustainability. However, 

pursuing waste separation interventions is a step in the right direction for the food service 

industry - and the country as a whole - in their attempts to pursue environmentally sustainable 

practices. 

 

2.6 GAPS IN LITERATURE 

The focus of this study is to assess the waste separation knowledge and activities of catering 

services in Madina of the La Nkwantanang Municipality. There is very limited literature on 

the hospitality industry in Ghana and even less information on the waste separation activities 

in the restaurant sector. This goes beyond Ghana and can be observed in other parts of Sub- 

Saharan Africa (Rogerson, 2012).This implies waste management operations end up being a 

lower priority agenda for these administrations (Kaza et al, 2018, pp 77). 

Higher income countries have however explored this subject matter a bit further. Researchers, 

Filimonau et al (2019), conducted an explorative study on restaurants in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The 

study investigates the challenge of restaurant food waste in the South-Eastern European city. 

It identifies the main drivers of restaurant food waste and recommends managerial approaches 

to mitigate it. It also elaborates on the need to change policies and consumer mindsets. 

Incidentally, the researchers mentioned how under-researched the problem of restaurant food 

waste is and how it hampers a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Their research was 

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largely based on food waste alone rather than a mixed stream of waste; which calls for waste 

characterisation and segregation. 

Tehrani, Fulton and Schmutz (2020) also investigated the waste management operations of the 

restaurant industry in three cities designated as “Green Cities”: Providence and Springfield 

(both in the USA) and Nancy (in France). It would have been expected that these “Green Cities” 

would better manage waste operations in the food and catering industry however the results 

proved otherwise. Restaurant managers from all three cities strongly believed that sustainable 

practices enhance their financial performance, the reputation of the restaurant and attraction of 

customers. Despite this deduction, a significant percentage of the wastes and by-products of 

the operations of the studied restaurants were still being unsustainably discarded. The 

researchers cited the fragmentation of the very large industry and a lack of training of restaurant 

managers as some of the principal reasons underlying unsustainable WM practices. Their 

recommendation was to encourage Private-Public Partnerships (PPPs) “to enhance the 

operational efficiency of different businesses” (ibid). This research was carried out in fairly 

economically-advanced cities, unlike Ghana, which are more advanced in the pursuit of 

environmental sustainability and hence does that give a clear representation of the Ghanaian 

and African perspective. 

In 2018, Matinise et al (2018) published their work on “Implementing the Waste Hierarchy – 
 

Assessing the Recycling Potential of Restaurant Waste” in South Africa. The waste 

characterisation study was conducted to assess the potential for diversion of mixed restaurant 

waste away from landfills. The study highlighted that more than 74% of waste generated by 

the 20 sampled restaurants from two (2) South African malls could be recovered through 

recycling or composting and also that food waste accounted for close to 50% of restaurant 

waste (ibid). Ultimately, this research highlighted the need to improve waste management 

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practices in restaurants by implementing source separation schemes, encouraging green 

purchasing, training staff on sustainable waste disposal methods and measuring food waste. 

In Ghana, a lot of research has been done on waste characterisation and segregation however 

these predominantly focus on the household level rather than on commercial ventures 

especially in hospitality (Miezah et al, 2015; Anarfi, 2013; Oteng-Ababio, 2011; Owusu & 

Sundberg, 2013; Addo-Yobo & Ali, 2003). There is yet to be a study on the waste separation 

activities in restaurants. 

 

2.7 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 

The Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory expounded by Rogers (1995) is a critical theoretical 

underpinning to this dissertation. It explains how a new idea, technology or a product spreads 

through a social system in the course of time (Rogers,1995). There are many factors that 

influence and direct the adoption of new ideas or an innovation for a business. Usually, the 

process starts with weighing out the pros and cons of the proposed idea before a decision is 

made to further pursue the idea (Hall & Khan, 2003). This study rests on the DOI Theory to 

explain restaurants’ knowledge and their willingness to practise waste separation in their 

establishments. 

Four elements come to play in discussions of this theory: innovation, communication channel, 

social systems and time; these which can be aligned to this study. According to Rogers, the 

proponent of the theory, innovation "is an idea, practice or object that is perceived as new by 

an individual or group or organisation" (Rogers, 2003, p12). He described communication as 

"the process by which participants create and share information to one another in order to reach 

a mutual understanding" (Rogers, 2003, p18), whereas time involved in the innovation- 

decision process, the time taken to adopt an innovation by the adopter and the adoption rate 

across the social system. Finally, social systems are a set of interrelated social units (e.g., 

individuals, informal groups, organisations) that are engaged in problem solving to achieve a 

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common goal". (Rogers, 2003, p23). Social systems determine the boundary for a diffusion 

process; it can be affected by norms, and the degree to which individuals can influence one 

another. 

Relating the four elements to this study, the idea of waste separation represents the innovation 

and the communication channel is the agency for knowledge acquisition and transfer on the 

subject of waste segregation. The social systems are all relevant stakeholders whose actions or 

inactions affect the ability to carry out the process of waste separation. The social system also 

includes those who will benefit from the activity. Evidently, all these elements take place 

within a timeframe as total integration can only be accomplished within an extended period of 

time. 

Being a theory centred on human behaviour, there is the human attribute of agency coming into 

play. Before committing to or adopting an idea or an innovation, users would assess 

compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability (Rogers, 1995). Restaurant managers 

would need to be convinced about waste separation’s practicality, its ability to fit into their 

business plans and its perceived benefits before taking it on. This brings into perspective the 

five necessary acceptance and implementation stages highlighted by Rogers in his theory (ibid). 

The Knowledge Stage where restaurants need to be informed on waste separation - what is 

involved, how it will affect the running of their business and its long-term benefits to the 

establishment. The Persuasion Stage allows them to weigh all options presented to them 

following the knowledge acquired in stage one. The third stage is the Decision Stage where the 

restaurants make a decision to pursue a separation intervention or not. If they decide to pursue 

one, they enter into the Implementation Stage. The final stage is the Confirmation Stage which 

is where the businesses are encouraged to perpetuate the segregation activities through constant 

information gathering which assures them of its continuous benefits and possibly 

advancements in its implementation. 

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The theorist also points out that ideas are not always adopted immediately by all persons in the 

social system. In fact, there are five (5) identifiable groups of adopters of new ideas: the 

innovators, early adopters, the early majority, late majority and laggards. In any target group, 

the innovators are the earliest to take on a new idea and the laggards the last to adopt the idea. 

Knowledge of these groups will allow for better assessment restaurants’ intent to implement 

waste segregation interventions. 

 

2.8 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 

The conceptual framework for this study draws on the work of Chou, Chen & Wang (2012), 

who used the DOI theory to determine the factors that influence a restaurant’s decision to adopt 

any green practice. They draw on the five Perceived Innovation Characteristics (PIC) 

expounded by Rogers (1995) – i.e., relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability 

and triability. The paper also highlights how processes of adopting innovation in an 

organisation are different from those of individuals. Typically, for organisations, external 

environments, organisational scales, structures and attitudes toward the innovation must be 

considered before adopting the new idea. The factors that influence the adoption of green 

practices were sub-categorised into two groups – internal- or external-environment factors. 

These influencing variables serve as a guide to identifying the underlying factors that directly 

shape the decision of restaurants to pursue and implement waste separation interventions. The 

framework also gives a better understanding of restaurants willingness/ unwillingness to adopt 

green practices and ultimately could help in shaping policy in the adoption of green practices 

by the restaurant industry. 

The conceptual framework is illustrated in Figure 2.2 below. 

 

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Figure 2.1: Conceptual Framework on the Adoption of a Circular Economy by Stakeholders in Madina of La 

Nkwantanang Municipality 

Source: Author’s own construct based on Chou, Chen & Wang (2012) 

 
The findings of the above-mentioned study highlight the fact that certain factors are normally 

taken into account when restaurants implement green practices, in this case, waste separation. 

These considerations are largely related to how the establishment views the intervention's 

benefits. The greater the potential advantages, the more likely it is that the intervention would 

be implemented. The benefits may not always be monetary or economic in nature, but may also 

take the form of enhanced brand recognition, convenience or customer loyalty; even though 

restaurants are usually expected to make decisions based on financial gain. 

Similarly, the nature and characteristics of the enterprise can affect the adoption of green 

practices. Characteristics like the size of the restaurant, the average sales per year and the 

establishment's curtilage, influence the establishment’s decision to pursue waste separation or 

not. Restaurants will find it easier to implement green practices if these practices do not deviate 

too much from their usual routines; which underlines the internal factors of flexibility and ease 

of adoption. 

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Environmental regulations are one of the external variables that restaurants must consider when 

making decisions. Although Chou et al (2012) found that Taiwanese restaurants primarily 

adhere to environmentally friendly practices as a result of regulations and laws in place, the 

same may not be true in the Ghanaian context. While the legislation will encourage restaurants 

and companies to use environmentally friendly practices, due to compliance and monitoring 

issues, this impact may only be temporary. 

Incentives (such as grants, awards, and tax reductions) on the other hand, have the ability to 

encourage restaurants to follow green practices. 

 

2.9 CONCLUSION 

This chapter has extensively reviewed pertinent information on the themes of the circular 

economy and waste separation. It has also explored literature on the food service industry, 

especially in Ghana and the practicalities of implementing waste separation interventions in 

the sector. The review has been anchored in the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and a 

conceptual framework was developed to illustrate the influencing factors for waste separation 

in the restaurants. The gap in literature that this study aims to fill was identified; thus, providing 

a strong basis for the focus of this study. 

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CHAPTER THREE 

 
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND PROFILE OF STUDY AREA 

 
3.1 Introduction 

The chapter discusses the research methodology underpinning the work and the profile of the 

study area, Madina of the La-Nkwantanang Municipality (LANMMA); situated in the Greater 

Accra Region of Southern Ghana. The research methodology focuses on the research design 

sources of data and collection methods, target population, sampling procedures and techniques, 

and analysis of the data. 

 
3.2 Research Design 

The purpose of this study was to assess the waste separation behaviour of food vendors in 

Madina - LANMMA and factors that influence the adoption of greener serving and packaging 

products. 

In this research, quantitative data was generated by examining the waste separation practices 

of the restaurants in the study area. The quantitative data highlighted the current adoption or 

non-adoption levels of the restaurant. The qualitative interviews on the other hand helped 

elucidate the underlying factors behind their actions/inactions of waste separation. There was 

an assessment of expert knowledge and attitudes in the waste management and restaurant 

industries; and the extent of the local administrative body’s support to waste separation in their 

municipality’s hospitality sector. 

 
3.3 Types and Sources of Data 

 

Primary and Secondary sources were employed in this study. Primary data was obtained through 

questionnaires and interview guides that were administered to participants. Participants included 

restaurant staff, a key government official in the municipality and head of the locality’s informal 

waste-pickers association. The aim was not only to ascertain challenges that restaurants face in 

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their waste management process, but also to determine what strategies authorities have put in 

place to support waste separation especially in the food business. The instruments also sought to 

highlight the local authorities’ role in encouraging restaurants to pursue waste separation. They 

also assessed the willingness of the restaurants to adopt sustainable practices in their restaurants. 

Secondary data was obtained from publications, journals and internet sources on waste 

management and the circular economy. Also, references were made to policy documents on 

waste management in the country; providing a backdrop and context to the topic at hand. 

 
3.4 Methods of Data Collection 

3.4.1 Quantitative Method of Data Collection 

A semi-structured questionnaire (Appendix A) was administered to respondents from various 

restaurants within the study area of Madina of the La Nkwantanang Municipality. The targeted 

respondents were managers or supervisors of the restaurants. The questionnaires included both 

close-ended and open-ended questions and were sub-divided into sections to allow for easy 

organisation of collected data. 

The sections included the socio-demographic details of the respondents, the characteristics of 

the restaurant, their waste generation levels, knowledge and practice of waste separation and 

the factors that shape the decision of greener practices in the restaurants. 

3.4.2 Qualitative Method of Data Collection 

Qualitative data was collected through two (2) in-depth interviews using interview guides 

(Appendix B and C). The interviews were face-to-face in order to observe likely non-verbal 

cues. They were recorded and subsequently transcribed. The interview guides addressed 

themes relating to the knowledge and intention of the local authority to pursue a circular 

economy through waste separation and challenges that waste-pickers faced with waste 

separation and management in the restaurant industry within the study area. The interviewees 

included a member of staff of the Planning Unit of the La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal 

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Assembly and the Head of Madina Informal Waste-Workers Association. The aim of the 

interviews was to gather information on their experiences with waste separation and the 

constraints waste pickers face in the line of duty. It was also an opportunity to gain expert 

advice on the way forward regarding waste separation activities in restaurants. 

 

3.5 Target Population 

This study primarily focused on restaurants in the Madina commercial area. The market has a 

large transient population which makes provision of food services in this area a lucrative 

business. Therefore, there are many varieties of restaurants and food services located here; 

ensuring that the study was not fixated on a particular genre of food vendors but cut across the 

different categories of restaurants. 

According to data provided by the Assembly, there are 854 registered restaurants in the entire 

La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipal area and 189 in the Madina district i.e., the study area. 

(LANMMA Socio-Economic Database, 2020). Only registered restaurants in the Madina area 

were included in this study. For the purposes of this study, restaurants are facilities that have 

been duly registered and recognised by the laws of Ghana and local governance administration 

as food provision services. 

In-depth interviews were carried out with two (2) people. One was the Head of the 

Development Planning Department. The other was the Head of the Madina Informal Waste- 

Workers Association. 

 

3.6 Sample Size and Sampling Procedure 

 

The sample size for the study was based on Yamane’s (1967) proposal - as cited in Israel (1992). They 

proposed a simple formula for working out sample sizes as:  

  

 

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Where, n= sample size; N= population size and e= level of precision at a 95% confidence 

interval. 

There are 189 restaurants in the Madina area. All registered restaurants have been placed 

into one of three categories - either category A, B or C. LANMMA provided a comprehensive 

list of registered restaurants in their jurisdiction; which included the category each restaurant 

falls in. Restaurants in this database were first stratified to restaurants found in Madina alone; 

then further stratified to restaurants in Categories A, B or C. Subsequently, the total numbers 

of each category were used as the population size (N) in the formula. Therefore, the sample 

size of all three categories were worked independently to attain a sample size which was 

representative of the entire population. 

The resulting sample sizes for each category are recorded in Table 3.1 below. 

 

 

 
 

Table 3.1: Sample Determination for Selected Respondents 
 

CATEGORY NUMBER OF REGISTERED 

REST IN MADINA 

SAMPLE SIZE 

Category A 22 
 

 

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= 21 

Category B 90 
 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 

= 73 

Category C 74 
 

 
 

 

 

 
 

 

= 62 

TOTAL 186 156 

Source: Author’s Own Construct (2021) 

 

Therefore, this study sampled one hundred and fifty-six (156) restaurants in the Madina 

area. 

All 156 restaurants were purposively drawn from Madina. Restaurant staff who were well- 

acquainted with the activities of their establishments were the target of the administered 

questionnaires. 

Two (2) people were purposively sampled for in-depth interviews. They included the Head of the 

Municipality’s Development Planning Department and the Head of the Madina Informal Waste-

Workers Association. The perspectives of these two individuals were crucial in explaining 

some of the issues highlighted by the survey from the restaurants and in perceiving the 

Municipality’s stance on waste separation. 

 

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3.7 Data Processing and Analysis 

The STATA statistical analysis software was used to code and analyse quantitative data 

collected from the field. The analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics to derive 

frequencies and percentages which were represented by bar and pie charts. To determine and 

ascertain the relationship between variables, cross tabulations, frequency tables and chi-squares 

were employed. 

Qualitative data obtained from the interviews were transcribed and the information was used 

to support data from the quantitative analysis. Table 3.2 lays out the linkages between the 

research objectives and analysis. 

 
Table 3.2 Linkages Between Research Objectives, Methods of Data Collection and 

Analysis 
 

Objectives Research 

Questions 

Type Of 

Data 

Sampling 

Method 

Method Of 

Data 

Collection 

Unit Of Data 

Collection 

Analytical 

Technique 

To assess 

restaurant 

personnel’s 

knowledge on 

the benefits of 

waste 

separation 

What 

knowledge 

do Madina- 

LANMMA 

restaurants 

have on the 

benefits of 

waste 

separation? 

Primary 

data 

Stratified 

then 

convenience 

sampling 

Semi- 

structured 

questionnaire 

Restaurant 

staff 

Descriptive 

Statistics 

To determine 

which 

different 

restaurant 

groups are 

involved in 

waste 

separation and 

those that are 

not 

Which group 

of Madina- 

LANMMA 

restaurants 

are involved 

in waste 

segregation 

and which 

are not? 

Primary 
data 

Stratified 

then 

convenience 

sampling 

Semi- 

structured 

questionnaire 

Restaurant 
staff 

Descriptive 
Statistics 

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To examine 

the 

determining 

factors of the 

adoption of 

Waste 

Separation in 

Madina 

restaurants 

What factors 

influence the 

adoption of a 

Waste 

Separation in 

Madina 

restaurants? 

Primary 

and 

Seconda 

ry data 

Stratified 

then 

convenience 

sampling; 

 

Purposive 

sampling 

Semi- 

structured 

questionnaire 

; 

 

Interview 

guide 

Restaurant 

Manager/Own 

er 

 

Municipal 

resource 

person 

 

Waste 

Collector/Man 

ager 

Descriptive 

Statistics 

 

and 

 

Content 

Analysis 

To assess the 

factors 

constraining 

the adoption 

of eco- 

friendly food 

packaging and 

serving 

options in 

Madina 

restaurants 

What factors 

constrain the 

adoption of 

eco-friendly 

food 

packaging 

and serving 

options in 

Madina 

restaurants? 

Primary 
data 

Stratified 

then 

convenience 

sampling; 

 

Purposive 

sampling 

Semi- 

structured 

questionnaire 

; 

 

Interview 

guide 

Restaurant 

Manager/Own 

er 

 

Municipal 

resource 

person 

 

Waste 

Collector/Man 

ager 

Descriptive 
Statistics 

 

and 

 

Content 

Analysis 

Source: Author’s Own Construct (2021) 

 

 

 

 
3.8 PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA 

3.8.1 Background Characteristics of LANMMA 

 
The La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality was carved out of the Ga East Municipal in June 

2012 by Legislative Instrument (LI) 2131 in accordance with the government’s objective of 

decentralising power and making Metropolitan, Municipals and District Assemblies more 

manageable. 

3.8.2. Location and Size 

LANMMA is situated in the Greater Accra Region of Southern Ghana. The total land area of 

the municipality is 70.887 sq. km. and it occupies about 2.18 % of the Greater Accra Regional 

land area (whose land size is 3,245 sq. km). The municipality lies between Latitudes 5⁰ 81”3” 

N and 5⁰ 67 ”7” N and Longitude 0⁰ 24”0” W and 0⁰ 13 “1” W. LANMMA is predominantly 

urban; with 84% of the population residing in urban areas (GSS, 2010).

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Five other municipalities share a boundary with LANMMA. These are the Akwapim South 

District Assembly to the North; Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly in the North East; Ga 

East Municipal Assembly to the West; Adentan Municipal Assembly to its East and finally the 

Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly to the South. There are about 23 settlements in the La 

Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality. The major settlements include Madina, Pantang, Oyarifa, 

Ayimensa, Otinibi, Kweiman and Teiman (Ghana Statistical Service, 2010). 

Figure 3.2 Location of La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality in the Greater Accra Region 

Source: GhanaStatistical Service (GSS) , 2010 

  

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3.8.3. Population Structure 

As per the 2010 Population and Housing Census, the total population of LANNMA is 

111,926. Males represented the minority class at 48.5% whilst females were more than half 

of the population at 51.5%. 

There are 28,270 households (residences) with a household population (occupants) of 

108,051 leaving the average household size as 3.9 persons. The population density is 1,909 

people per square kilometre (MPCU,2019) 

3.8.4. Physical Characteristics 

The municipality's land area consists of mainly of plains but in the southern and western parts, 

these plains have dispersed undulating topography. The Akwapim Togo Range is a main 

feature of this area; rising steeply above the northern part of the municipality. The municipality 

is by nature very rocky. Five different types of soil can be found in the municipality namely; 

the Fete Consociation, the Nyigbenya Hatso Complex Association, the Oyarifa-Manfe 

Complex Associations, the Danfa-Dome Association and he Fete Bediesi Complex 

Association. Two major waterbodies that run through the municipality are the Sisami and 

Dakubi. The area is underlain by Precambrian rocks and a strain of metamorphic rocks - 

consisting of granite, gneiss and schist – can be seen there. These rocks are broken down and 

carried away by run-offs towards the plains. The low-lying areas of the municipal area are 

covered by grasslands but moving towards the north, the type of vegetation changes to shrubs 

and wood thickets. 

 

 
 

3.8.5. Climatic Conditions 

 

The Akwapim-Togo Range plays a major role in the heavy rainfall pattern of the municipality. 

The leeward side of the Range – to its north – receives more rainfall and dew (moisture) than 

the other parts of the municipality and this creates a slightly different ecological zone. The 

average annual temperature ranges between 25.1° C (in August) and 28.4°C (in February and 

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March); making February and March usually the hottest months of the year (Dickson and 

Benneh, 2001) 

 

 

 
3.8.6. Economic Activities 

 

The La Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality has a vibrant local economy which can be 

structured into three main sectors: commerce/services, agriculture and industrial. 

Trading is the principal economic activity of the area and the busy and vibrant Madina market 

is instrumental in this. The market contributes greatly to the local economy of the La 

Nkwantanang-Madina Municipality. It is the largest commercial and trading hub in the area 

and generates the highest employment and revenues to residents and the local economy 

(Ministry of Finance, 2019). The banking, hospitality, telecommunications, beauty and fashion 

sectors are some of the key services provided in municipal area. The commerce and services 

sectors are rapidly growing sectors of the Municipal economy. 

Agriculture is another major economic activity of the municipal area. Four types of agricultural 

activities have been identified in the municipality i.e., crop farming, livestock rearing, fish 

farming and tree planting. Crop farming and livestock rearing are however the dominant 

activities in the area (PHC 2010). The crops grown usually include cereals, tubers and 

vegetables. Teiman, Ayimensa,