The true cost of solving the plastic waste challenge in developing countries: The case of Ghana

Mismanaged plastic waste is a major environmental concern, especially in countries of the Global South. Municipal solid management can not only alleviate problems but also create jobs and promote local economic growth. However, providing appropriate services costly. The question to what extent policies that have proven be successful other geographies help solve challenge developing countries. Specifically, economics financial flows along value chain need known. In this paper, we shed light on these questions by presenting novel, model-based method elicit assess cost structure recycling sector We exemplify our with plastics Greater Accra Region Ghana—an area particularly challenged waste. For purpose, surveyed over 80 participants combined data insights from expert interviews workshops. Based data, built bottom-up model 67 parameters, reflecting all positions chain. found street pickers are poorest most vulnerable, earning fraction already low minimum wage. Middlemen aggregators, while often being criticized for their earnings, provide social-security-like pickers. addition, formal informal recyclers differ earnings size recyclate quality where provides higher quality.