PURSUING RECYCLING: EXAMINING THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED RECYCLING PLANT AT THE ABOKOBI DUMP SITE ON SCAVENGERS

ABSTRACT

Production and consumption activities generate waste which subsequently must be managed. Informal resource recovery is seen to have emerged to fill the gap caused by the absence of enough formal waste processing facilities, as well as a livelihood strategy especially among the poor. Materials recovered from waste are either re-used or recycled, and include plastics, metals, paper, bottles and electronic waste. Reported as employing millions across the globe, those who engage in resource recovery now face some threats to their livelihood as better waste management methods are being adopted. Chief among the methods is the establishment of waste processing facilities, gradually seen to be taking over the work of waste pickers, despite the desire to manage waste more efficiently by the use of waste processing facilities.

The main purpose of the study was to explore how the establishment of a waste processing facility, considered as a better option to the crude dumping of waste, at the dump site at Abokobi in the Ga-East Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra region of Ghana could affect the activities of waste pickers who work at the site. To achieve this, the study sought to determine the actors who engaged in resource recovery at the dump, the kind of materials recovered and how proceeds from its sale supported waste pickers, as well as anticipated coping and support measures for the waste pickers should they lose access to the dump site. This was undertaken through the elicitation of data and information from waste pickers and buyers at the dump site, as well as additional information derived from previous studies and interviews with personnel of the planning and environmental health departments of the Ga-East Municipal Assembly.

The study found out that the main actors engaged in resource recovery at the dump site were waste pickers and buyers, who engaged in the activity due to lack of jobs and

financial assistance. Materials mainly recovered from waste at the site were plastics and soft metals (aluminium), while other materials such as electronic waste and hard metals were hardly recovered at the dump site. The study also indicated that the quantity of materials recovered per person was on the decline which was attributed to an increase in number of waste pickers at the dump site, a further indication of an increase in waste picking as a livelihood strategy. The income from the sale of recovered materials was used to cater for accommodation, education, health and nutrition of the waste pickers and their dependants.

Despite the waste pickers not knowing the intention to put up such a facility, the study showed that there was divided support over the facility, with majority of the respondents expressing the fear of loss of access to waste materials at the dump site as their reason for opposing the establishment of the facility. The study showed that the facility would be at a new site and the current dump site converted to a transport station. This showed that waste pickers would lose access to the current dump site and the waste materials there. Though pickers intend moving to a new dump site to recover materials should they lose access to the current dump site, the municipal assembly has also promised to provide some assistance to the pickers. With the promised assistance by the municipal assembly likely to face challenges in reaching its intended impact considering the number of pickers at the dump site, it is still a laudable intention. Despite the possibility of this challenge, the researcher suggests that further assistance should be provided to waste pickers by way of skills training to enable them pursue alternate livelihoods even as more waste processing facilities are likely to be established with time.