info@businessghana.com
The Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), a youth-led environment and climate change advocacy group, has developed a comprehensive recycling framework for Accra, building on its existing zero-waste strategy.
The Zero Waste Project Manager at GAYO, Jacob Johnson Attakpah, who was speaking at a stakeholders’ workshop to validate the framework in Accra, said the new framework aimed at creating blue and green circular economies within communities by recovering materials and promoting sustainable consumption.
He said the city currently generates approximately 3,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, highlighting the urgent need for effective waste management solutions that have been captured in the framework document expected to be launched in June this year.
Mr Attakpah mentioned the framework to include strategies to “minimise waste generation through responsible production and consumption practices, and development of recycling systems to recover materials and promote their use in production”.
He said the framework also focused on the circular economy, which encouraged the reuse and recycling of materials to reduce waste sent to landfills.
The Zero Waste Project Manager said the framework's implementation was expected to have a significant impact on waste management in Accra, including “reducing waste and promoting recycling, decreasing the amount of waste sent to landfills and keeping streets clean and also lowering methane emissions from landfills”.
Mr Attakpah said the workshop with stakeholders across the value chain, including industry experts, policymakers and the informal sector, was necessary to help validate the findings and bring stakeholders together to develop a cohesive approach.
Speaking to the media, the Ablekuma Central Municipal Environmental Officer, Seyram Diapim, commended GAYO for developing the recycling framework to address the sanitation challenges in Accra.
Ms Diapim said the framework was a laudable initiative that could help regulate waste generation and create jobs for the youth.
She said that the current state of sanitation in Accra was a challenge, with pockets of refuse visible in every community.
She attributed the increased waste generation to urbanisation, citing the influx of people from rural areas in search of nonexistent jobs.
Ms Diapim called for collaboration between government agencies, civil society organisations, and local communities in addressing the waste management challenges in Accra, saying “by working together, stakeholders can develop and implement effective solutions to improve the city's sanitation and create a cleaner, healthier environment for its residents”.
The President of the Bola Taxi and Tricycle Association (BTTA), Lydia Bamfoe, also expressed support for the recycling framework developed by the GAYO.
She said the framework was a good initiative that could help improve waste management in Accra, particularly if it became a proper policy implemented by lawmakers and stakeholders.
Ms Bamfoe emphasised the importance of proper training for waste collectors and segregators, particularly in identifying and segregating recyclable materials.
