It`s very obvious how waste management has become very costive in Ghana, infact worldwide. Solid waste management has become a major concern in most countries around the world.
Being the largest university in Ghana, the University of Ghana has set up a locally producing assembled reactor that converts plastic waste into fuel such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and domestic gas for homes in the country.
This comes after the Institute of Applied Science and Technology of the College of Basic and Applied Sciences of the university began turning plastic wastes into three different kinds of fuel.
The production of turning plastic wastes into petrol is done by reprocessing them into high-value fuels and chemicals for households or small running engines.
Depending on the conditions under which the trash was processed, Professor David Dodoo-Arhin, the Institute’s Director, revealed that the reactor produces three litres of fuel when fed with three kilograms of waste plastic.
“The fuel is up to standard and is usable. We have been cooking with gas and our cars are running the petrol and diesel,” he stated.
He added that the project was under the Plastics-to-Fuel initiative, which started in 2018 with initial funding support from the University of Ghana BANGA Africa seed grant programme, and that the model included all the people in the value chain, especially the collectors, and could be a good avenue for the creation of jobs for many people.
He said it was followed by two-year funding in 2021, through the University of Ghana Research Fund “multidisciplinary category” and in 2022, another two-year co-funding by the French Embassy’s “FSPI NYANSAPO” program.
In order to support the transition of the public and private sectors to a circular economy based on plastic, Prof. Doodo said that the initiative was in line with the Ghana National Plastic Action Partnership. This would ensure sustainable plastic management.
According to the United Nations Development Programme, Ghana generates 1.7 million tonnes of plastic garbage each year, with only 2% of that material being recycled as the nation struggles with plastic pollution.
Several gutters have been left choked by plastics, prompting the country to take bold steps to tackle the menace.
Several gutters have been left choked by plastics, prompting the country to take bold steps to tackle the menace.
Ghana formally joined the Global Plastic Action Partnership — an initiative dedicated to eradicating plastic waste and pollution worldwide.
