The Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) has attributed the growing accumulation of uncollected refuse in parts of Greater Accra to a critical shortage of landfill sites, describing the situation as one of the biggest challenges confronting waste management operators.
The concerns come amid complaints from traders and residents around the Kaneshie Market, where an overflowing refuse container has raised fears of potential health hazards and disruptions to business activities.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Midday News on Wednesday, June 24, Executive Secretary of ESPA, Ama Ofori Antwi, said the association is aware of the increasing reports of unattended refuse in several communities and has been engaging both formal and informal waste collectors to address the issue.
According to her, rapid urbanisation and population growth have led to a significant increase in the volume of waste generated daily, while the infrastructure required to manage and dispose of the waste has not expanded at the same pace.
“Currently, as we speak, we are challenged with final disposal sites. That is one of the key issues. Infrastructure for dumping waste is a challenge for both the formal and informal operators,” she said.
Ms Ofori Antwi explained that the shortage of landfill sites has considerably increased the turnaround time for waste collection trucks, making it difficult for contractors to return promptly to communities after disposing of collected waste.
She disclosed that the only operational landfill facilities currently available to waste contractors are located at Adepa and Tema.
“The landfills currently working are the ones at Adepa and Tema. If we take the whole of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, there are no landfill sites within GAMA for dumping waste,” she stated.
As a result, waste collection companies are often required to travel distances of up to 90 kilometres to dispose of refuse before returning to their designated service areas, a situation she said is significantly affecting operational efficiency.
The ESPA Executive Secretary further noted that the ongoing rainy season has worsened the challenge, with poor road conditions leading to some disposal sites slowing the movement of waste trucks and reducing accessibility.
“Now that we are in the rainy season, accessibility is also a problem because the roads are not in the best condition,” she added.
Ms Ofori Antwi called for urgent investment in waste management infrastructure, particularly the development of additional engineered landfill sites within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, to improve waste collection efficiency and help address the growing refuse problem across the capital.
She stressed that expanding disposal infrastructure is essential to ensuring sustainable waste management and maintaining public health standards in rapidly growing urban communities.
