'When the West is turning waste to wealth, yours is killing citizens' – US-based Ghanaian fumes

A Ghanaian living in the United States has questioned why successive governments have failed to harness waste as an economic resource instead of allowing poor waste management to contribute to flooding.

In a video sighted by GhanaWeb on July 2, 2026, the man, who said he has worked at a landfill facility in the United States for more than 15 years, argued that Ghana could generate significant economic value from waste while improving sanitation and reducing flood risks.

He made the remarks following the devastating floods that hit parts of the Greater Accra Region on June 29, 2026, claiming lives and destroying property.

"Leaders of Ghana, look at all these trucks lined up here. They are waste collection trucks at a landfill in the US. Just a few days ago, floods claimed lives and destroyed properties in Ghana, partly because of poor waste disposal," he said.

According to him, landfill sites in the United States are designed to convert waste into useful resources, including gas that powers some of the waste collection trucks.

"In the US, the government generates huge sums of money from waste. The gas used to power these trucks is produced from this landfill," he stated.

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He questioned why Ghanaian officials do not adopt similar waste management models during official visits abroad.

"When our leaders travel to the US for conferences, why don't they learn how they have developed their waste management systems instead of importing excavators that end up being used for illegal mining?" he asked.

The man also praised the strict operational standards at the landfill where he works, noting that waste collection vehicles are required to ensure no refuse is left on the roads during transportation.

"You will not see a truck leave behind trash that falls from it. If anything drops, they go back to pick it up and dispose of it properly," he said.

He further argued that the same heavy-duty equipment used to manage landfill operations in the United States could be deployed in Ghana to improve waste management rather than being used for illegal mining activities.

"Yesterday's floods, which claimed lives and destroyed property, inspired me to make this video. I have worked in this industry for over 15 years, and I am concerned that our governments have failed to turn waste into wealth the way it is being done in the West," he added.

Watch video below

🇬🇭 🇺🇸“A landfill is where we dispose of waste or rubbish in America. Just look at how Ghana was flooded when it rained heavily. Here, where there are mountains or areas with a lot of sand, that is where we dump waste. The excavators being shipped to Ghana to mine gold are the… pic.twitter.com/KbrjJJfEIt

— TheeNewsRoom (@TheeNewsRoom) July 2, 2026