Accra’s informal waste markets
Informal waste collectors in Accra handle over 70% of household waste, but most of this waste ends up in unregulated dumpsites, contributing to environmental harm. A survey of informal waste collectors conducted in Accra, Ghana, has revealed important findings for how governments and policymakers can design cost-effective market interventions to improve waste collection services.
- In many rapidly urbanising cities across sub-Saharan Africa, informal waste markets play a central role in solid waste management. Understanding how they operate is essential for improving service delivery, addressing environmental externalities, and identifying cost-effective ways governments can design market interventions.
- This report presents descriptive findings from a survey of informal waste collectors conducted in Accra, Ghana, in April 2025.
- Over 70% of household waste in Accra is collected by informal collectors, but 75% of this waste ends up at unregulated dumpsites where burning is common.
- While most collectors dispose of waste near where it is collected, some travel further—suggesting responsiveness to travel time and waste disposal costs. Informal disposal sites tend to have lower fees and shorter waiting times, though they offer fewer recycling opportunities.
- High-frequency transaction data show that during the main working hours (6am-10am), the prices households pay for collection are stable and similar across collectors, consistent with (but not definitive evidence of) competitive market dynamics.