Waste Management in Cotonou: The Practical SGDS Guide
Living in a clean city is a basic condition for a successful move. In Cotonou, waste management has been thoroughly modernized through government reforms and the creation of SGDS-GN, the Société de gestion des déchets et de la salubrité du Grand Nokoué (the Greater Nokoué waste management and sanitation company).
This guide explains how household waste collection works, the rates in force since 2025, how billing works, and the sanitation habits that keep your neighborhood clean.
1. What is SGDS-GN and what does it do?
SGDS-GN SA (Société de gestion des déchets et de la salubrité du Grand Nokoué) is a public company created in 2018, wholly owned by the Beninese state. It covers the five municipalities of Greater Nokoué: Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Abomey-Calavi, Ouidah, and Sèmè-Podji. Its board brings together the mayors of these five municipalities along with ministry representatives, and it operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development.
Its remit covers pre-collection and collection of household waste, sweeping of major avenues, clearing of drainage gutters, and managing treatment sites, including the landfills at Ouèssè and Takon. To equip its operations, the company received 8 billion FCFA in financing, which paid for 30 garbage trucks, 50 Ampliroll trucks, 12 trailers, and more than 200 sorting containers.
For residents, in practical terms SGDS-GN has put an end to the disorder of informal collection by organizing collection zones assigned to subcontracted small businesses equipped with modern trucks or motorized tricycles.
2. How household waste collection works
Frequency and collection days
In major residential neighborhoods like Cadjèhoun, Haie Vive, Gbégamey, or Fidjrossè, collection trucks or tricycles generally come by two to three times a week, on a schedule specific to each area. Households are asked to put their bins out in front of their gate the evening before or early on the morning of collection day.
Why an approved bin matters
To make collection crews' jobs easier and stop stray dogs or rain from scattering waste, it's best to use a closed, rigid bin made of reinforced plastic with a tight-fitting lid. Standard-size bins like this are available in supermarkets and hardware stores around town.
3. 2025 pricing: what changed
For four years, household waste collection in Greater Nokoué was free for households. Since January 1, 2025, the service has been billed, under an inter-ministerial decree setting rates, collection terms, and how the waste removal fee is allocated.
For properties getting two collections a week, the monthly rate runs between 3,000 and 5,000 FCFA, depending on whether it's a single-unit home or a multi-unit building. The exact amount billed depends on the property type and the number of housing units it contains.
How is the bill paid?
One notable feature of the system: SGDS-GN collection fees are now built directly into SBEE electricity bills and SONEB water bills, rather than billed separately. Payment can also be made through the online government services portal. This integration makes collection easier to enforce, but it also means an unpaid electricity or water bill can include an outstanding waste fee — worth checking if you're disputing an amount owed.
For any question about your subscription or a billing discrepancy, SGDS-GN can be reached at 99 99 70 09 or 40 42 99 99.
4. Sorting and special waste
Sorting is still being rolled out gradually in Cotonou. SGDS-GN, working with local NGOs and recycling companies, is setting up dedicated collection points for plastic — a priority given the sheer volume of empty water bottles and containers in the urban space. Residents are encouraged to separate plastic bottles from the rest of their household waste and drop them in the dedicated sorting bins where available in their area.
Bulky waste and construction debris
Regular collection trucks don't take construction rubble, cut tree branches, old mattresses, or broken appliances. To get rid of this kind of bulky waste, contact SGDS-GN customer service directly, or an approved private contractor, to order a dedicated skip or schedule a custom pickup, billed separately from your standard subscription.
5. What to do if the service isn't working
If the collection truck doesn't show up on schedule, or you notice a delay of several days, contact SGDS-GN customer service at the numbers above. The company will identify the subcontractor responsible for your zone and sort out the issue.
If you disagree with the amount charged on your SBEE or SONEB bill for the waste fee, keep a copy of your bills and contact SGDS-GN directly rather than SBEE or SONEB customer service, since they don't handle that part of the billing.
6. Apartment buildings and commercial premises
For a multi-unit building, the monthly SGDS-GN fee falls in the same range as for a single-unit home, but the exact amount billed depends on the number of housing units recorded on the property by SGDS-GN at the time of registration. As a landlord or building manager, it's important to report any change in the number of occupied units — an added extension, for instance — so billing stays accurate.
For commercial premises (shops, restaurants, offices), pricing follows a different logic than for households, generally indexed to the volume of waste the business generates. A restaurant or a production workshop generates more organic waste or material waste than an office, which justifies a different fee. Ask SGDS-GN directly when setting up your business to find out the rate that applies to your activity.
7. Neighborhood sanitation and civic habits
Beyond organized collection, how clean a neighborhood stays also depends on collective behavior. Dumping waste into drainage gutters remains a major factor in flooding during Cotonou's rainy season, since plastic waste blocks water flow. Avoiding littering in gutters isn't just about how things look — it's a direct flood risk factor for your own street.
Sweeping of major avenues, also handled by SGDS-GN, complements the residential collection system. If you notice a buildup of waste on a public road outside your own property, the same SGDS-GN customer service line can be used to flag the trouble spot.
8. Why did the service become billed in 2025?
The shift from a free service to a billed one, after four years of collection fully funded by the state, is meant to make the system sustainable. The fee funds the renewal of the truck and tricycle fleet, maintenance of the Ouèssè and Takon landfill sites, and payment of the subcontracted small businesses that handle local collection in each Greater Nokoué zone.
This change in economic model raised questions among some households when it rolled out, particularly in neighborhoods where collection remains irregular despite being billed. If you feel the service you're getting doesn't match the fee on your bill, the best move is direct contact with SGDS-GN customer service rather than simply withholding payment on your own, which risks a cutoff or a reminder notice on your SBEE or SONEB bill.
FAQ
What should I do if the collection truck doesn't come on time?
Contact SGDS-GN customer service at 99 99 70 09 or 40 42 99 99. The company will identify the subcontractor responsible for your collection zone and sort out the situation.
How do I dispose of medical or hazardous waste?
Medical waste, like syringes or expired medication, as well as hazardous waste like batteries or used motor oil, should never go in a regular household bin. Take them to health facilities equipped with incinerators or to specialized collection points.
How much does garbage collection cost in Cotonou since 2025?
Since January 1, 2025, the collection service, previously free, has been billed at between 3,000 and 5,000 FCFA a month for a home getting two weekly collections, depending on whether it's a single-unit home or a multi-unit building.
How is the waste fee billed?
The fee is built directly into SBEE electricity bills and SONEB water bills rather than billed separately. Payment can also be made via Benin's online government services portal.
Is sorting mandatory in Cotonou?
No, sorting isn't mandatory yet and is still being rolled out gradually. Dedicated plastic collection points exist in some areas thanks to partnerships between SGDS-GN and recycling companies, but coverage isn't yet uniform across all of Greater Nokoué.