The Kpone landfill site in Greater Accra has reached full capacity and will soon be closed, the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mahama Ayariga, announced on Monday, September 29, 2026. The government plans to build new landfill facilities in Greater Accra and the Eastern Region to handle the growing amount of waste generated across the country.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Ayariga said the Kpone site’s closure was necessary because it could no longer accommodate more waste. “We have plans to construct new landfill sites across the Greater Accra area and Eastern Region to accommodate the waste that is being generated,” he said. “The Kpone landfill site, as you can see, is full. So we’re in the process of planning its decommissioning.”
The shortage of engineered landfill facilities in parts of Ghana has forced authorities to transport waste from areas like Agbogbloshie to other sites. This pressure on existing waste management infrastructure has prompted the government to expand capacity.
Beyond adding new landfill sites, the government is exploring alternative waste management technologies, including incineration and waste-to-energy systems. Ayariga said the government was already in discussions with stakeholders on how to introduce these methods into Ghana’s waste management strategy. “I agree with him that there are new ideas about how to manage waste such as incineration and the conversion of waste to energy through burning it and then using the heat to generate energy,” the Minister said.
He added that these meetings were ongoing, including one held earlier the same day as the interview. “I have had those; even this morning I was in a meeting discussing how we should do that as a country,” Ayariga said.
The government’s broader plan seeks to reduce reliance on landfills alone by finding ways to convert waste into energy or other useful resources. This approach aims to address the growing waste problem while exploring more sustainable options.
The closure of the Kpone landfill highlights the challenges Ghana faces with waste disposal as urban areas expand. While the government’s plans for new landfills and alternative technologies continue, the immediate task remains managing the volume of waste in Accra and surrounding regions.
The details on the locations and capacities of the new landfill sites have not been released. The timeline for the Kpone site’s official shutdown and the opening of the new facilities is also unconfirmed. For now, waste management officials are focusing on maintaining services as they transition away from Kpone.
Ghana’s waste issues have become increasingly visible in recent years, especially in Accra where population growth and urbanisation have increased the demand for effective disposal solutions. The government’s moves to expand landfill infrastructure and incorporate waste-to-energy technology reflect a wider global trend toward tackling waste with a mix of traditional and innovative methods.
How quickly these plans will translate into operational sites and new technologies remains to be seen. But the push to close Kpone and open new facilities signals a shift in how Ghana will handle its waste in the coming years.
According to 3News.
