The OneGhana Movement, a Not-for-Profit organisation, has launched a dustbin project dubbed ‘Adopt-A-Bin’ as part of efforts to effectively manage waste and beautify Accra.

Available records from the city authority, Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), indicated that out of the over 2,500 tonnes of waste generated daily, only 1,125 tonnes representing 45 percent is collected. The remaining 55 percent, mainly plastics, remain in the system. Arithmetically, about 501,875 tonnes of plastics are produced annually. Where do they go?

It is against this background that the OneGhana Movement launched the ‘Adopt-A-Bin’ campaign under the Right Way Initiative to drive the nation behind it ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­? by impacting and adjusting the attitudes of citizens to do things right and in the interest of Ghana.

But beyond the rhetoric, the OneGhana Movement is poised to change the narrative by placing dustbins at strategic locations in parts of the city to stop littering.

Taking the bull by the horns, OneGhana Movement in collaboration with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has deployed 40 bins to certain locations: on the Independence Avenue from Ako-Adjei Interchange to Ridge Roundabout; Castle Road coming to State House; and Ministries Traffic Light to the Stadium Traffic Light.

As part of the pilot project, 21 points have been earmarked as locations for distribution of the dustbins. These include places such as Barclays Bank Prestige, Cal Bank, Zenith Bank, Vanguard Assurance, MTN, GNAT Heights, World Bank, Boom Junction, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Canadian High Commission, Ridge Roundabout, Conference Centre, State House, Passport Office Junction, Merton Monttesori, Osu Cemetery, Min. of Education, Min. of Agriculture, Ministry Clinic, Ministries Traffic Light and the Labour Department.

Speaking at the campaign’s official launch, Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources Michael Gyato said littering constitutes one of the major environmental nuisances practiced by a majority of the general public with impunity.

The sector minister noted that this act of indiscipline contributes massively to the unsightly nature of our environment.

According to him, there is no doubt that the poor attitude of the people toward sanitation is one of the biggest challenges we have as a country.

Mr. Gyato indicated available record point to the fact that this phenomenon is responsible for a significant number of the top-ten OPD cases in our hospitals and health centres: such as malaria, typhoid, Cholera, worm infections and many others.

He added that this obviously is not a good sanitary condition for a country to exhibit in view of the fact that it paints a bad picture, but also because it leads to spending so much money on diseases which could easily be prevented.

“It is on this basis that the onus lies on us to develop innovative strategies that will culminate in reversing the citizens’ poor attitudes sanitation in this country. As we enjoin the citizenry to do the right thing, it also behoves us to create the enabling environment to facilitate their compliance with environmental sanitation bye-laws of the MMDAs,” the sector minister stated.

Mr. Gyato posited that although so many resources have been committed by successive governments and development partners to address the poor sanitation, the situation is not getting better.

He intimated that we must consider law enforcement as a key component of environmental sanitation service delivery in order to achieve the desired impact.

The sector minister called on OneGhana Movement and its partners to ensure regularly emptying of the bin in a sustainable manner to help achieve the objective of keeping the environment clean.

The Chairperson of OneGhana Movement, Dr. Joyce Aryee, said the ‘Adopt-A-Bin’ campaign is the implementation of its Action series which is to help solve the lack of public waste bins along our streets as well as the irresponsible behaviour of citizens – both of which have contributed to the growing sanitation challenges faced in the city.

She indicated that the OneGhana Movement, in conjunction with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, has introduced the public bins to support the national campaign to promote good sanitary practices in the country – and especially in public spaces. Not only will the bins serve sanitary needs of the general public, but also support efforts of government in championing the campaign of proper waste management in the country.

“This campaign will contribute to eliminating filth in the country, and we call on every responsible and well-meaning Ghanaian to be a part of the programme to support the national project of keeping Ghana clean. It is our responsibility; it is our service to mother Ghana,” the Chairperson stated.

Dr. Joyce Aryee appealed for Ghanaians to make the ‘Adopt-A-Bin’ campaign a success by disposing of trash properly in the bins provided, avoid stealing or defacing the bins, avoid dumping household trash in public bins; and most importantly, by generously donating bins to the campaign to enable the aim of providing every space in the city with public bins become a reality.