Current and re-emerging practices of solid waste management in Accra’s open-air markets

Solid waste management (SWM) remains a major environmental and public health concern of Southern cities as the urban population continues to increase, and consumption patterns change. Accra like many African cities is grappling with a challenge that was non-existent about six decades ago. Extant literature reveals that the macro SWM sector in Accra is inadequate for ensuring efficient and effective SWM service delivery. The challenge of SWM is compounded in the city’s open-air markets (OAMs), given the volume of waste generated as well as the intense competition for space by traders and investors within the context of limited planning and solid waste infrastructure. Using a mixed methods approach, this study set out to examine SWM practices which are relevant in reducing flows of urban market waste (through reuse and recycling), reclaiming SWM cost and ensuring efficient SWM service delivery. The findings reveal a coexistence of multiple SWM practices in each of the surveyed OAMs, which further highlights how SWM practices are complex, dynamic and socio-spatially uneven. Finally, it calls on city authorities to pay attention to the current and emerging practices of SWM in OAMs and offers recommendations for future improvements.