Choked gutters, burning waste, and toxic air—this is the daily reality in parts of La Dade Kotopon. In response, residents, municipal authorities, and environmental advocates joined forces in a large-scale clean-up effort aimed at improving air quality and promoting waste segregation.

Organised by the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA) in collaboration with the Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO), the initiative was part of the Greater Accra Regional Sanitation Day observed on the last Friday of every month.

The exercise, which brought together community members, students, and local officials, emphasised the dangers of open waste burning and improper disposal, which significantly contribute to air pollution and climate change.

Ghana faces a mounting waste crisis, with plastic pollution choking drains and fueling dangerous open-air burning.

The country generates approximately 840,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, yet only 9.5% is recycled.

In the Greater Accra Region alone, over 300,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste are produced each year, much of which ends up in landfills, gutters, and the ocean.

Compounding the issue, organic waste makes up 61% of total municipal waste, but poor segregation leads to indiscriminate dumping and widespread burning—one of the biggest contributors to air pollution.

Daniel Nkrumah, the Municipal Chief Director, underscored the importance of community involvement in ensuring a cleaner environment.

“Today marks our major clean-up exercise for the year. But to make this program successful, we need everyone in the community to come out. Planning alone does not move mountains, but action does,” he stated.

He further emphasised collective responsibility, adding, “we are here with our kids and tools to remove the refuse—from our gutters and streets to ensure a clean environment. La must be neat. La must be healthy. La must be tidy. Together, we are doing it.”

Highlighting the role of proper waste management in mitigating pollution, Mabel Laryea, Zero Waste Cities Accra Project Coordinator at GAYO, stressed the need for behavioral change.

“We are preaching to community members about cleaner air and why they should segregate their waste at the source. If waste ends up in drains and is later burned, it worsens air pollution. La is one of the major areas where waste burning happens, and we need to stop this practice,” she said.

She further emphasized the need for awareness: “This clean-up is not just about clearing waste but about creating long-term behavioral change. We need residents to take ownership, keep their frontages clean, and embrace source segregation.”

According to environmental data, open waste burning remains a major source of methane and carbon emissions, exacerbating climate-related challenges.

Studies have shown that burning plastic releases harmful toxins such as dioxins and furans, which pose severe health risks to communities exposed to the smoke.

The exercise aligns with the broader "Clean Up Ghana" agenda initiated by the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo, speaking at a separate clean-up event in Madina Zongo, reinforced the government’s commitment to sanitation improvement.

“A Regional Sanitation Day will be observed every month to instill a renewed sense of cleanliness and responsibility in our communities,” she stated, calling on all stakeholders to actively