Introduction

• The Plastic Waste Problem in Ghana

• Who We Are

• Building the first ever bus shelter in Africa made from 3.5 tonnes of recycled plastic waste recovered from around Accra in 2022
• Contributed to Ghana’s national plastic waste management policy which passed into law by Ghana’s parliament in 2020
• Partnered with the UN Basel Convention in Switzerland to produce and distribute 2000 reusable bags from recycled plastic waste in 2022
• Have had academic and research partnerships with the University of Michigan in the U.S, the University of Toronto in Canada, the University of Brighton in the U.K. and Academic City University College in Ghana
• Create and sell various sustainable goods made from plastic waste such as sandals, desks, mats, bags, chairs and much more
• This year began facilitating the ECOFEM project which seeks to empower women to create these recycled product businesses through providing them training, equipping and a co-working space as well as develop a waste recovery mobile app to setup 1300 plastic waste recovery aggregation business that allow women to recover and sell plastic waste

• Purpose of the Report

Prevalence of Plastic Waste in Lorry Stations

• Overview

• Data Collection Methods

1. 

Site Visits: On July 17th and 23rd our team conducted site visits to several major stations in Accra, including Circle Station, Madina Station and Kufour Station. During these visits, detailed observations were made regarding waste disposal practices, the availability and condition of waste bins as well as the general cleanliness of the stations.

2. 

Interviews: Interviews were conducted with drivers, passengers and vendors at each station to gather qualitative data on their perspectives regarding the plastic waste problem. They were asked questions about how the waste affects them, health effects from the waste, current waste management efforts at the station and what further waste management solutions they think should be implemented (see full list of questions in the Appendix). These interviews provided valuable insights into the everyday experiences and challenges faced by those who use and work in these stations (see full interview data in the Appendix).

3. 

Photographic Documentation: Photographs were taken at the stations to visually capture the extent of the plastic waste pollution. These images serve as a powerful visual aid to illustrate the severity of the issue.

• General Research Findings

• High Volume of Waste: Lorry stations generate substantial amounts of plastic waste daily. Many types of plastic waste, namely single-use plastic bags, bottles, water sachets and food wrappers, can be seen all over the ground at the stations as these items are often discarded carelessly or swept out of vehicles.
• Inadequate Waste Management: Many lorry stations lack sufficient waste management infrastructure. Waste bins are either absent, insufficient in number, or poorly maintained. This results in waste being left on the ground or in makeshift dumping areas, contributing to unsanitary conditions. This was noted by many of the people we interviewed as the main reason for high waste pollution levels at the stations, among other reasons all of which can be seen in the visual to the right.

• Impact of Commercial Activities: The high volume of commercial activities in lorry stations, such as food vending and retail, contributes significantly to plastic waste generation. Vendors frequently use plastic packaging and single-use items, which are then discarded by customers on the ground.
• Public Concern Over Plastic Waste: Interviews and observations revealed a general lack of awareness or concern about proper waste disposal among station users. Many people are accustomed to discarding waste indiscriminately on the ground, contributing to the accumulation of plastic litter. However, many people we spoke to showed great concern about the issue of waste pollution at stations and wished there were better waste management options nearby for them to use. Notably, drivers were most concerned about the problem and how it affects their health, in comparison to passengers and vendors.

Do people think their health is affected by plastic waste pollution?

• Station Specific Research Findings

Currently, at Madina Station plastic waste pollution is a huge problem as large amounts of waste can be seen all over the ground at the station every day at all times. In fact, all 5 of the passengers we interviewed claimed they always see large amounts of waste when they visit the station. The immense amount of waste seen at Madina Station can largely be to blame on the fact that there are no waste bins at the station thus there is no way for people to properly dispose of their waste while there. Thus, as can be expected, all 24 people interviewed at this station claimed there were not enough waste bins available for them to use. Plus, the station only gets swept once per day at night thus much waste piles up throughout the day. In general, the sentiment from those interviewed at Madina Station was that the plastic waste pollution problem was grave there, with some even stating that this is one of the most polluted stations in the city, and that waste management efforts needed to be greatly improved.

Images of the Waste Pollution At Madina Station

At Circle Station, the issue of plastic waste pollution is much better than at many of the other lorry stations around the city as significantly less amounts of waste can be seen on the ground at the station. This improvement can largely be attributed to the adequate amount of waste bins which can be found all around the station thus people can dispose of their waste in bins rather than on the ground with ease. Plus the station gets sweeped three times a day, once in the morning, once around midday and once in the evening. This more frequent cleaning is another reason why Circle Station is one of the cleanest in the city. Yet the station still faces a waste pollution problem and passengers still regularly see waste on the ground at the station when they visit. Despite the waste pollution issue being much better here than at most other lorry stations in Accra, many people we interviewed still think there is room for improvement in Circle’s waste management practices, notably almost half of the interviews still believe more waste bins are needed at the station. In general, the sentiment from those interviewed at Circle Station was that it is one of the cleaner stations in the city but the station still faces a plastic waste pollution problem and can continue to improve its waste management practices.

Do passengers always see waste when they come to Circle Station?

Images of the Waste Pollution At Circle Station

Finally, at Kufour Station plastic waste pollution is still a problem but not as prominent as it is for some other lorry stations as plastic waste can still often be seen all over the ground at the station but in smaller quantities than at Madina Stations. The station being on the cleaner side can be attributed to the waste management efforts made to curb plastic waste pollution there such as having sweepers and waste collectors come once per day at night as well as having some small waste bins placed sparingly throughout the station. However, many interviewees stated that they think the amount of waste bins at the station was not enough and given the small nature of the waste bins provided they often fill up thus becoming unusable. In general, the sentiment from those interviewed at Kufour Station was that the plastic waste pollution problem there is not grave however, it is still quite present as waste still litters the ground and waste management practices could be greatly improved.

Do passengers always see waste when they come to Kufour Station?

Images of the Waste Pollution At Kufour Station

Health Issues Associated with Plastic Waste

• Health Problems

• Respiratory Problems: The burning of plastic waste releases toxic fumes containing harmful chemicals such as dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls. Plus, at stations, these harmful chemicals often mix with vehicle fuel fumes making them more toxic. Inhalation of these substances can lead to respiratory problems, including chronic bronchitis, asthma and other lung diseases (Mustapha, 2012, pg. 4).
• Food Contamination: Vendors in lorry stations often sell food items that may come into contact with plastic waste. Chemicals from the plastic can leach into food, leading to the ingestion of toxic substances. Plus, often the plastic waste polluting the stations has come into contact with other harmful substances such as saliva from others, fuel, etc. Consuming contaminated food can cause gastrointestinal issues and other long-term health problems (Pereira, et al., 2024, pg. 6).
• Infections and Diseases: Plastic waste provides breeding grounds for disease-carrying vectors such as rats and flies. Stagnant water collected in discarded plastic containers can lead to an increase in mosquito populations and contribute to the spread of malaria, among other harmful illnesses. Additionally, the presence of rats and flies can increase the risk of diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera (Mustapha, 2012, pg. 5).
• Physical Injuries: Sharp-edged plastic items and broken glass mixed with plastic waste which litters the grounds of lorry stations can cause physical injuries. These injuries can become infected and lead to more severe health issues (Pereira, et al., 2024, pg. 6).
• Endocrine Disruption: Some plastics contain chemicals such as BPA. These chemicals are known endocrine disruptors and can interfere with the body's hormonal functions, potentially leading to reproductive issues, developmental problems in children and other health concerns (Pereira, et al., 2024, pg. 6).

• Community Impacts

Additionally, there are grave impacts the plastic waste pollution problem is having that go beyond impacting peoples’ health. The immense amount of waste and overall poor waste management in Accra has led to several environments in the city and beyond to be polluted. A notable example is the beach fronts in Accra, the majority of which are heavily polluted from waste that is brought to the beaches by drains and gutters clogged with waste from the city and then washed into the sea. The heavy environmental pollution of beach fronts in Accra has resulted in these places becoming unsafe and unsanitary for people to visit. Moreover, the immense amount of waste coming from Accra has resulted in the landfills which serve the city in Greater Accra Region having to move further away to find additional landfill sites for the waste generated in the city, such as the one seen below which is about 150 meters high and more than the length of a football pitch. Thus, more of the environment is being polluted by the creation of new landfills and those who reside near these new sites must now face the grave health impacts which come from living near a landfill.

Proposed Waste Management Interventions

• Community Suggestions of Waste Management Strategies

During our interviews at lorry stations across the city, many suggestions were made by passengers, drivers and vendors as to what waste management strategies could be implemented at stations to improve the current efforts and reduce the plastic waste pollution problem which has been visualized on the right.

• Selected Waste Management Interventions

The first of these interventions is increasing the number of waste bins at lorry stations. Not only is this a simple solution which can easily be implemented but, if done well, having more waste bins can have a substantial impact on reducing the waste pollution in stations. As per our interview results, many people noted that the main cause of the waste problem is a lack of easily available waste bins, thus not only are more bins needed at stations but they need to be accessible and placed all over the station so no one ever has to go far to find a proper place to dispose of their waste. Furthermore, for these waste bins to be effective, they must be accompanied by a metal skip at each station that can hold 3 times the daily volume of waste generated from the stations. Thus, if 5 tonnes of waste are generated each day at Madina station, then there should be a skip that can hold 15 tonnes of waste there. This increased size of the skips is to ensure that even when regular collection of the waste is missed, the bins do not overflow. When the station's waste bins are full they should be emptied into the skip along with any waste generated by vendors or drivers. Additionally, the skips need to have tight covers and not be open as this will cause diseases and flies that eventually spread to food being sold and consumed in the stations. Finally, there should be dedicated spaces for the skips and waste recovery at the lorry stations which should not be encroached upon by vendors or drivers.

In addition to having regular waste bins and skips be available, having Mckingtorch Plastic Recovery Receptacles present as well will further reduce the plastic waste problem at lorry stations. Not only are these receptacles easy to use as their plastic bottle shape makes it clear that you can place your empty bottles and water sachets there but they can help reduce how often waste bins must be emptied as people segregate their waste. Plus, by segregating waste, the plastic bottles and sachets can be given a new life through this sustainable intervention as Mckingtorch Africa will use these plastics to create products, such as desks, bags, footwears, mats and more (as seen in the images below) as well as create employment opportunities for women and other youth as they create these sustainable products.

The Role of Municipal Assemblies

Conclusion

References

1. Anie, A.J. & Odoom, Y. (2023). Upstream approaches to reducing the generation of plastic waste in Ghana: An Experiment by UNDP Accelerator Lab in Ghana. United Nations Development Programme Ghana.
2. Erinosho, B. (2022). Plastic Pollution in Ghana. LEAP UN Environment Program. https://leap.unep.org/en/countries/gh/case-studies/ghana.
3. Mustapha, H. (2012). Dealing With Plastic Waste in Metropolitan Accra: Challenges and Policy Instruments. Universidad Austral de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
4. Pereira, A., Hollas, C., Amaral, K., Veiga, L., & Ferron, M. (2024). Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Human Health; Insights from SMEP Programme. UK International Development.