The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has initiated a comprehensive review of its sanitation bye-laws in a major push toward achieving a circular economy and strengthening municipal solid waste management across the city.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement session on the proposed amendments, Mr. Victor Kotey, Deputy Director of Waste Management at the AMA, said the overhaul is critical to closing structural gaps in the current regulations and aligning the city’s waste policies with modern environmental standards and climate action targets.
“The sanitation bye-laws enacted in 2017 no longer reflect the realities of today’s waste management needs,” Mr. Kotey explained. “They fall short in promoting waste separation at source and do not adequately support Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM).”
The updated legal framework, he said, will underpin Accra’s waste optimisation strategy, with a strong focus on the separation of municipal solid waste into organic, recyclable, and residual components. The reforms are also expected to bolster the city’s efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions, particularly from the waste sector, which currently contributes over 40 percent of Accra’s total emissions.
“As a city, we are shifting away from the traditional, linear approach to waste disposal. The revised bye-laws will make it mandatory for all waste generators—households, businesses, institutions—to separate their waste at source. This is essential if we’re to reduce our reliance on landfills and meet our zero-waste targets,” Mr. Kotey emphasized.
Under the proposed regulations, residents and businesses will be required to use color-coded bins—green for organic waste, black for residual waste, and brown for recyclables. The bye-laws will also detail the types of collection vehicles permitted, frequency of waste collection, and environmentally sound disposal methods.
Importantly, the new legal regime will formally engage both formal and informal waste service providers. Mr. Kotey said the Assembly plans to integrate and support informal waste collectors, who currently play a vital role in managing the city’s waste stream, through formal recognition and regulation.
The AMA is expected to finalise the revised bye-laws following ongoing consultations with stakeholders, including environmental groups, private waste contractors, and community leaders.
Enock Akonnor is an experienced Ghanaian journalist, based in Kumasi and currently serves as the CEO and Managing Editor of www.leakyghana.com.
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