The 2-day training workshop, organized on Wednesday 5th March 2025 in collaboration with UN-Habitat under the Africa Clean Cities Platform (ACCP), aimed to help Accra and its sister assemblies gather accurate data on waste generation, collection, disposal, and identify gaps in the city's current waste management system as well as build a team of trainers and field volunteers who will lead data collection and analysis across Accra and its adjoining municipalities.

The Waste Wise Cities Tool (WaCT), developed by UN-Habitat, is a standardized methodology that allows cities to assess municipal solid waste management performance, including waste collection coverage, recovery rates, and the environmental control level of disposal sites as well as monitor progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.6.1, which focuses on reducing the adverse environmental impact of cities by improving waste management.

Participants were equipped with the knowledge on collecting and analysing data on household and non-household waste, assessing landfill and recovery facilities, identifying plastic leakage points and recycling opportunities, and mapping waste flows within the city.

Speaking at the opening of the training, Engineer Solomon Noi, Head of Waste Management at AMA, stressed the importance of reliable data in addressing the city’s waste challenges, adding that although Accra faces significant waste management issues, there has been a lack of credible data to inform policy and infrastructure development.

“We often see the problems, but we do not have the data to back our challenges. This audit will help us understand where we are as a city when it comes to solid waste management,” he said.

He pointed out that the audit, which would be conducted in the coming weeks following the training, with the findings serving as a baseline for developing sustainable waste management strategies for Accra, adding that it would help position Accra on the sanitation ladder.

Engineer Noi also highlighted that uncontrolled dumping and inadequate landfill management continue to pose environmental threats to the city, emphasizing that the audit would provide the evidence needed to advocate for better infrastructure and investments.

“We are currently managing only a controlled dumpsite, not an engineered landfill, and this has serious environmental implications,” he pointed out.

In a message on behalf of the Coordinating Director of AMA, Mr. Amponsah said the audit would lay the foundation for comprehensive waste management reforms and position the city to attract development partner support for critical waste infrastructure.

“This exercise is crucial for shaping a new direction for waste management in Accra. It will help us identify gaps, improve policies, and plan investments to create a cleaner and healthier city,” he noted.

Helda Wandera, a representative of UN-Habitat, emphasized that the success of the audit would depend on the quality of data collected.

She urged participants to be diligent, noting that inaccurate data would undermine efforts to improve Accra’s waste management system.

“We hope this process will influence how Accra manages its waste in the future. If we do this right, we can achieve a more circular economy and better public health outcomes,” she said.

Participants during the workshop engaged in an open discussion on what should be achieved through the assessment and subsequent action planning and agreed that the audit should lead to the collection of reliable data to inform waste management decisions, a reduction in open dumping and pollution in Accra, strengthened waste collection, processing, and recycling systems as well as promote a circular economy.