Informal operators in waste management in Accra, Ghana: From neglect to recognition?

Informal waste collectors play an essentialrole in urban solid waste management; however,in many developing countries, they are neglectedin the waste management policy framework. Thispaper explored the policy regime of informal waste operators in waste management in Accra, Ghana.Drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with informal waste collectors, private waste companies and officials of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the paper shows that formal waste contractors with concession rights underserve low-class areas due to operational difficulties. The informal waste collectors fill this gap by providing services to these underserved communities though they have no legal entitlement to the concessions. The formal waste contractors and the municipal authorities recognize this gap filling role of informal waste collectors in waste management in Accra yet fail to provide the official recognition to legitimise their participation in solid waste management. The lack of official recognition, even in formal policy documents, undermines the development of informal waste management services as a viable employment option. It also denies a substantial section of the residents in poorer neighbourhoods in the national capital access to affordable and efficient waste management services.