Accra is facing a growing waste problem, with a staggering 30% of its daily waste left uncollected. The city’s streets are cluttered, drains are clogged, and the environment is struggling under the weight of unmanaged waste.

Accra generates over 5,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste every day, and Engineer Solomon Noi, Director of Waste Management at AMA, says that despite their efforts, the city can only manage 70% of the waste produced. The remaining 30% is left uncollected.

“We are at the receiving end of unmanaged waste from surrounding municipalities. On average, we collect about 70% of the waste generated, leaving behind 30% that remains uncollected. This is due to challenges like accessibility, lack of infrastructure, and affordability in low-income areas.”

The AMA is striving to improve waste collection through initiatives like waste source separation and composting. However, the task remains daunting, given the sheer volume of waste and the need for more investment in waste management infrastructure.

In response, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is teaming up with the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) to tackle the issue head-on.

For the past five years, GAYO has been championing waste management initiatives across Africa, focusing on sustainability, waste repurposing, and job creation.

The Director of Programs and Operations at GAYO, Betty Osei-Bonsu stresses the importance of this partnership: “Signing this Memorandum of Understanding with the AMA is very important for us because waste management is huge in Africa and in Ghana. It's a huge problem. We see it every day in our lifestyle, we see it every day in our gutters, our streets, even in the food we eat. Sometimes we can find plastic bags.”

Now, through this partnership with the AMA, the two organizations plan to address waste directly at the source, while also focusing on community engagement.

"Our goal is to reduce waste at its source, repurpose it, and help communities turn waste into opportunities," says Betty Osei-Bonsu, GAYO’s Director for Programs and Operations.

The newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AMA and GAYO outlines their joint objectives: raising public awareness, setting up buy-back centers, and influencing waste policies. Osei-Bonsu explains that part of their work will focus on training informal waste pickers, creating jobs, and helping to educate communities on the importance of waste sorting.

"We want to engage young people and women in this process, creating green jobs that will make a real difference," Osei-Bonsu continues. "Through setting up a material recovery facility, we should be able to employ more than 100 people who can repurpose this waste, who can set up urban farms, who can not only (2:08) produce or recycle plastics, but also set up mushrooms".

The collaboration aims to reduce the reliance on landfills, where organic waste accounts for 60% of the daily waste. "We’re looking to divert 50% of this organic waste away from landfills," Engineer Noi shares. "With GAYO’s help, we can train communities to separate waste at the source and improve our waste management systems."

For both parties, the MoU marks a crucial step in addressing the city’s waste challenges. As Engineer Noi puts it, “In the past, we adopted the approach of law enforcement. Law enforcement has its limitations. And so with GAYO, they are now coming to get the citizens to understand the need for them to do what we want them to do. And then the citizens themselves will now start policing themselves.”

As the collaboration moves forward, both organizations are optimistic. Osei-Bonsu concludes, “This partnership with AMA is a crucial step toward building a cleaner, greener Accra. This MoU is not just a piece of paper—it’s a step toward a cleaner, more sustainable Accra.”