The city of Accra, like most medium to large human settlements in Ghana, have a big problem with improper disposal of solid waste, particularly plastic waste. The seemingly unmanageable plastic litter, apart from being an eyesore, gets washed into drains and chokes the latter leading to flooding of parts of Accra. Since the waste does not burn readily, it stays as litter in the drains until it is finally washed into the sea. In the sea, the plastic pose a danger to marine organisms, like sea turtles who mistaken them for jellyfish and feed on them. On land, the plastics are also consumed by domestic animals who get choked on them.
The project is to demonstrate in a pilot area that the city can properly dispose of such waste in designated litterbins and then collect and recycle to raise an income. The project will be working closely with the local authority in the pilot area so that if successful, the outcome can be a basis for a policy on plastic waste management for the city of Accra.
Lessons learnt from this project can be replicated in all medium to large settlements that have plastic waste disposal problems.