Recycling is the solution to Ghana’s sanitation crisis — Local Government Minister

The Minister for Local Government, Ahmed Ibrahim, has identified recycling as the most effective way to manage Ghana’s growing sanitation challenges.

He said the country’s waste management problem goes beyond sweeping and transporting waste, stressing the need for proper systems to process and reuse waste materials.

The Minister made the remarks when he appeared before Parliament’s Assurance Committee on Thursday, July 9, where he discussed challenges facing sanitation management across the country.

“Managing poor sanitation...[is] recycling. So from JHS to secondary school to university to Kwame Nkrumah University to do environmental science engineering, we know that recycling is the way," said the Minister.

The Banda MP said many Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) lack the funds, logistics and infrastructure needed to effectively manage waste, making it difficult for them to handle sanitation challenges independently.

He explained that some landfill sites across the country have become full because of years of indiscriminate dumping, while communities have become resistant to the establishment of new disposal sites.

The Minister noted that effective waste management requires investment in recycling plants and modern waste treatment systems rather than relying only on landfill sites.

“Clearly, the problem is not just sweeping and carrying. The problem is beyond the MMDCs we are talking of. So we are now meeting on it. What is it that should be done? It is recycling," he stressed.

The minister also cited the need to revive systems such as transfer stations, which were introduced in the past to improve waste collection and transportation, especially in urban areas.

He said government is engaging stakeholders to develop sustainable solutions to the sanitation crisis and build the capacity of local authorities to manage waste effectively.