Partners: Global Plastic Action Partnership
Period: 2026 –
Country of operation: Ghana
Category: Climate, Community Development, Employment, Evidence Generation (MERL), Policy Analysis & Advocacy
Project Snapshot
The Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) is a multi-stakeholder platform established in 2018 by the World Economic Forum to accelerate coordinated, evidence-driven solutions to plastic pollution. Through National Plastic Action Partnerships (NPAPs), GPAP brings together government, private sector actors, civil society, development partners, and informal sector representatives to advance circular economy solutions across partner countries.
In Ghana, the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) convenes key public and private stakeholders across the plastics value chain to reduce mismanaged plastic waste, strengthen recycling systems, and promote inclusive economic participation—particularly among informal waste pickers and collectors.
PDA is leading an evaluation focused on understanding the experiences, livelihood dynamics, and working conditions of waste pickers engaged within NPAP-supported interventions.
Project Objectives
Main Goal:
Assess how GPAP/NPAP-supported interventions are influencing livelihoods, working conditions, and inclusion within Ghana’s informal plastics value chain.
Specific Objectives:
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Examine the socio-economic conditions of waste pickers and collectors.
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Assess how NPAP initiatives are functioning at the community level.
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Identify changes in income stability, safety, and market access among informal workers.
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Generate evidence to strengthen inclusive circular economy strategies.
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Inform policy and stakeholder coordination within Ghana’s plastics ecosystem.
PDA’s Task
PDA will design and implement a structured quantitative evaluation to gather evidence from waste pickers and collectors operating within NPAP-linked sites.
Our role includes:
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Designing survey instruments tailored to informal sector dynamics.
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Conducting field data collection across key recovery and landfill sites.
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Analyzing livelihood, income, safety, and inclusion outcomes.
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Synthesizing findings into field and analytical reports to inform policy and program improvement.
How We Are Going About It
A structured quantitative approach will be applied to assess the livelihoods and working conditions of informal waste pickers engaged in NPAP-supported sites.
PDA will collect across key recovery and landfill locations to understand income patterns, working conditions, safety practices, and participation in the recycling value chain.
The findings will be synthesized into a detailed field report and a summary analytical report to inform stakeholder decision-making and strengthen inclusive circular economy interventions in Ghana.