In some areas of La Dade Kotopon, the everyday reality is poisonous air, clogged gutters, and burning waste.
In response, a massive cleanup effort was launched by locals, government officials, and environmental activists to enhance air quality and encourage waste segregation.
The initiative was part of the Greater Accra Regional Sanitation Day, observed on the last Friday of each month, and was organized by the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA) in partnership with the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO).
Community members, students, and local officials participated in the exercise, highlighting the risks of improper disposal and open burning of waste—both of which significantly contribute to air pollution and climate change.
Plastic pollution clogs drains and leads to hazardous open-air burning, worsening Ghana’s growing waste crisis. Only 9.5% of the nation’s annual production of 840,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste is recycled.
In the Greater Accra Region alone, over 300,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste are generated annually, with most of it ending up in gutters, landfills, and the ocean.
The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that 61% of municipal waste is organic, yet improper segregation results in indiscriminate dumping and widespread burning—one of the leading causes of air pollution.
The Municipal Chief Director, Daniel Nkrumah, emphasized the value of community participation in maintaining a cleaner environment.
“We are launching our biggest cleanup effort of the year today, but for this program to succeed, everyone in the community must participate. Action, not planning, is what moves mountains,” he said.
“We are here with our children and tools to remove refuse—from our gutters and streets—to ensure a clean environment,” he added, underscoring the importance of shared responsibility.
“La has to be tidy, La must be in good health, La needs to be neat. We are doing it together.”
Mabel Laryea, GAYO’s Zero Waste Cities Accra Project Coordinator, stressed the importance of proper waste management in reducing pollution and the need for behavioral change.
“We are educating community members on cleaner air and the importance of segregating waste at the source. When 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 stated.
She also highlighted the importance of awareness:
“This cleanup is not just about clearing waste but about fostering long-term behavioral change. We need residents to take ownership, keep their frontages clean, and embrace source segregation.”
Environmental data shows that open waste burning remains a major source of methane and carbon emissions, exacerbating climate-related problems.
Studies indicate that burning plastic releases harmful substances such as dioxins and furans, which pose serious health risks to nearby communities.
The activity aligns with the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) broader “Clean Up Ghana” agenda. Speaking at a separate cleanup event in Madina Zongo, Greater Accra Regional Minister Linda Ocloo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving sanitation.
“A Regional Sanitation Day will be observed every month to instill a renewed sense of cleanliness and responsibility in our communities,” she stated, urging all stakeholders to participate actively.
By Najat Adamu
