Sabalibougou market, the largest in Commune V of Bamako, generates more than ten tonnes of waste a day according to its president, yet no public system really takes charge of it. This study describes the nature of this waste, how it is stored, collected and disposed of, and how vendors perceive the situation. We surveyed 200 vendors randomly selected from the roughly 400 working in the market, interviewed seven key informants (elected officials, market managers, the municipal sanitation service, waste collectors) and observed the market between November 2025 and February 2026. Fresh food vendors predominate (41%), and 72% of vendors report producing mainly organic waste. Before collection, waste is kept in plastic bags (29.5%), left in piles next to stalls (27%) or dumped into drains (17%). Since the economic interest groups stopped operating, collection relies on private collectors using handcarts and motorised tricycles, paid directly by vendors, usually 200 to 300 CFA francs per pick-up. According to vendors, this waste ends up mostly in illegal dumps, particularly on Badalabougou hill. Virtually no sorting takes place (98.5% never sort), no awareness campaign has reached vendors, and 97.5% consider the market dirty or very dirty. The committee to which the town hall delegated market management proves largely inactive. Yet 60% of vendors say they are willing to take part in waste recovery initiatives, and nearly half are ready to contribute financially. Abundant organic matter and this willingness among vendors open the way to integrated management, provided the town hall takes back control.