Do economic incentives affect attitudes to solid waste source separation? Evidence from Ghana

• Economic incentives.
• Solid waste separation.
• Human capital, gender and sorting perceptions.

This paper examines the willingness of urban households in Ghana to accept economic incentives to participate in solid waste source separation. Low income households were less inclined to accept cash incentives than middle or high income households indicating that other factors than purely costs for waste management are important for households to participate in source-separation of waste. Perceptions on health and sorting and the availability of open space in the households were important for the willingness to accept incentives for source separation. The empirical findings indicate that household-level solid waste separation is positively influenced by gender (female) and sorting or health-related perceptions on source separation. About 80% of the households are willing to accept cash incentive of GH¢1.6374 (US$1.6347) per month to participate in source separation, and the mean cash incentive per month is GH¢1.2186 (US$1.2166). Fruitful solid waste management policy recommendations based on the empirical magnitudes and directions are made.