Transforming waste-picking landscape in Ghana: from survival to sustainable enterprise

Abstract

ABSTRACT Waste picking within the informal sector is essential to solid waste management policy and practice. A healthy number of academic articles have emerged from the practice of waste picking, particularly Ghana, of recent. Nevertheless, a common limitation across many of these articles is the absence of in-depth investigations into the experiences and backgrounds of waste pickers. This study examines the practical aspects of waste picking, uncovering motivational factors that drive individuals to engage in waste picking business and the multifaceted challenges that they encounter. Sixty-one waste pickers were interviewed at the Kumasi Oti Landfill site, and the findings were supplemented with documentary sources and observational data. Through content analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and the relative importance index, our study highlights that despite its necessity for survival, many waste pickers express dissatisfaction and find the waste picking business unpleasant. Additionally, the primary motivational factors for engaging in the waste picking business include lack of jobs, compounded with a lack of general and skilled education as well as social and cultural capital, and the flexibility of the work and family business. Furthermore, our findings underscore the significance of certain challenges, notably low income, health problems and social stigmatisation attached to the work. In light of these findings, it is recommended that government provides socio-economic and social support for waste pickers and facilitate the establishment of cooperatives for waste pickers in the recycling sector.