Transforming Solid Wastes from Cost to a profitable ventures in a circular-Economy strategy with Waste Resources Management Authority

Ghana is facing a serious crisis in waste management, especially in the rapid urbanization areas like some of the cities and towns. Fortunately, the Solid Wastes, by human activities which are creating the crisis, are good resources for Secondary Industries, for the manufacturing of some items, thus with potential to be transformed to a profitable ventures, including waste-to-energy project and aviation fuel in a circular economy, thus creating billion of Cedis of wealth and numerous jobs.

So, Waste Management, as stated is a potential multibillion or trillion Cedis industry, since it provides lucrative resources for Secondary Industries especially the recycling, composting or organic fertilizer, for recovery of valued resources and for renewal energy and sustainable aviation fuel through the waste-to-energy firms.

It is therefore very sad that Ghana, besides losing a golden lucrative opportunity for economic growth and jobs creation in a 24hour economy system, is exposing her people to Health and Safety risks through burning, dumping at Landfilling Sites and dumping in drains or by the waste finding its way into drains when it rains, thus causing diseases and flooding respectively.

According to the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), as reported by CITI News, Ghana is losing over GHC6.2Billion, yearly due to diseases, health complications, not talking about the likely human and assets casualties, due to affected areas which may be liable to flooding.

The state of affairs in Kumasi attracted the concern or the attention of His Royal Highness, the Asantehene, the King Solomon of our time, as such, the King was motivated to work hard to see to the attraction of foreign investors to work with the Government of Ghana, through Public Private Partnership with KMA and other MMDAs in his Kingdom. This is to help transform the Solid waste with the associated risks or problems of Security (or Cost), Environmental and Public Health to profitable ventures especially waste to energy project etc in a circular-Economy strategy of recycling, composting of organic fertilizer and waste-to-energy industries.

Thankfully, the King realized his dream during his business trip to Canada in June 2026, when a Canadian Firm, Portage Energy Group, indicated that it would speed up the partnership with KMA to replicate its Waste-to-Energy solution in his Region.

It will be recalled that Portage Energy Group signed a waste management deal with the Government of Ghana in May 2026, to address Ghana’s growing municipal waste challenges, and to strengthen renewal energy capacity. This includes refining some of the waste bio-organic pellets for energy into sustainable aviation fuel.

Report by ISSER and from a lot of Environmental Scholars indicated that due to rapid urbanization, cities like Accra, Kumasi etc are generating between 4,000 to 12,000 tons of solid waste daily. Thus rapid urbanization is outpacing the capacity of Metropolitans, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to manage the waste effectively, efficiently and economically.

It is must be noted that before 2006, waste management especially the collection and disposal of waste at the Landfilling Sites and cleaning/desilting of a bottom of water or drainage systems were a disaster, hence, a nightmare to the City and National Authorities and Traditional Authorities and the general public.

Thus before the inception of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, in April 2006 in the Waste Management Industry, that was in the second regime of President JA Kofour, waste collection and disposal of same rendered very serious problems. So, Dr Siaw Agyapong, a Ghanaian, who is the Founder and CEO of the Jospong Conglomerate, after preparing a very good business plan and presented it to President Kofour’s administration, established the reputable Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, with Waste Management solutions, to support Ghana to solve her Waste Management problem.

Based on that, the Government of Ghana bought his idea of Waste Management Solutions, and with a National Waste Management Strategy entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement with Zoomlion Ghana Ltd. So the Company was responsible for Waste Management in Ghana. A job which was well executed by the Company when it kept the Cities etc clean and checked the possibility of serious flooding.

Based on these facts, so, due to some people who kicked against the Zoomlion Ghana Ltd’s Contract and called for its termination, retired Major Mohammed Bogobiri in February 2025, alerted the Government of the day, in an article published in the reputable Modern Ghana’s media platform to see to halt the vilification of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd, rethink and renew the Contract to prevent a possible disaster.

He therefore recommended that the Government to ensure not to terminate the Zoomlion Ghana Ltd’s Contract for street cleaning and drainage of chocked drains or gutters, so, the Officials should rather rethink to review the street cleaning and drainage of chocked drains contract with Zoomlion to stop a possible disaster. Google and read halt the vilification of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd by Major Mohammed Bogobiri (rtd).

Unfortunately, the officials of the Ministry for Local Government etc with associated CSOs/NGOs and some members of the public, acted on emotions, caused the Sector Minister, Hon Mr Ahmed Ibrahim to cancel the Zoomlion Ghana Ltd’s contract.

Thus, it showed a failure of applying critical thinking mindset (that is a proper risk assessments on the safety, environmental, public health and economic factors) on matters which affected solid waste as created daily, so as to improve on national strategy for the Safety/Health, Environmental protection and Economic benefits, Ghana stands to gain in a Circular-Economy by working and supporting Zoomlion Ghana Ltd and other investors and players like the informal waste pickers, who should be integrated into the Sector, after good training and support them with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and digitize their movements or operations.

Zoomlion Ghana Ltd has some critical infrastructures such as a fleet of waste management trucks, some waste transfer stations, recycling plants, composting of organic fertilizer the only exception was Waste to Energy solution. Hence on a very good state to help with management of the waste. The critics of the Contract, failed to note that the alleged low wage as paid to the sweepers through Zoomlion Ghana Ltd was what was agreed to be paid by the Government through YEA, with the reason that the sweepers may perform not up to 2 hours at post per day.

The critics also failed to note that due to Ghana’s budgetary constraints, payment by Government to Contractors, is normally in massive arrears. So it was/is not news that if Government owed/owes massive arrears to Zoomlion Ghana Ltd which may run into billions of Ghana Cedis and Zoomlion Ghana must finance the Contract to be paid later.

So, Zoomlion Ghana Ltd like other Contractors, depended/depends on her own resources and bank loans at not less than 20 percent interest to finance the contract for the provision of the environmental and fumigation services. As state, Zoomlion Ghana Ltd has some of the critical infrastructures such as fleet of waste management trucks, waste transfer stations, recycling plants, composing plants, what is yet to be added is a waste to energy Plant. So, removing Zoomlion Ghana Ltd from the Sanitation space without an adequate replacement, let cities to be struggling with waste management and choked gutters.

So, the collections of solid waste by the local contractors of MMDAs were poorly done and the dumping of some waste were done at some places and the Landfilling Sites. In an efficient waste Management practice, Landfilling Sites should be reserved as the very last resort dumping areas. So, a Landfilled Site should be reserved for safe disposal of non-recoverable hazardous residual.

This writer was therefore not shocked, when on 06 June 2026, as part of celebrating of the World Environmental Day in Takoradi, the very honest Hon Minister for Local Government etc namely Hon Mr Ahmed Ibrahim, openly made a very honest public confession that the cancellation of the Zoomlion Contract has worsened sanitation issues in Accra etc. Google for Cancellation of Zoomlion Contract worsens Accra flooding, as published by the BFT Online.

He added that Zoomlion did very good jobs by keeping the cities and municipals clean. So it was sad that in 2025, some NGOs and Some Ghanaians kicked against the sanitation contract of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd and argued that the Metropolitans, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and some other Ghanaians as Waste Collection and disposal Contractors or pickers could do the job. So, the Government should give the funding and the job to clean our municipals and cities to the MMDAs to engage local contractors.

So, it was heartwarming when the Minister for Local Government visited the Achimota Transfer Station of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd on 26 June 2026, where Dr Siaw Agyapong, the CEO of Jospong Group, received him and both made statements for the way forward. Zoomlion is operating in Rwanda, Congo, Liberia, Nigeria etc. Implying, it is doing very good jobs globally. So for a Better Ghana Agenda, the Minister to see to the effective and efficient operations of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd in Ghana.

Circular-Economy as mentioned above, is unlike the traditional Linear-Economy, which involves take-make-dispose or take-make-waste economy or from raw material use to waste approach. Thus linear economy involves the taking out or the extraction of resources from the earth by man to make items with the resultant solid waste so created, is disposed of, say at Landfilling Sites.

In linear Economy, we take resources from the earth and use them to make things, when those things break or lose their value, we throw them out. Thus it operates on a straight, one-way path, consisting of three stages of extraction, production/consumption, and Disposal. Hence, all three processes are done in a linear model.

Circular-Economy is an economy model designed to eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and material in circulation (in use) for as long as possible and regenerate natural system. It is also about shifting focus from disposal of waste resources at landfilling sites to recycling, recovery plants or Waste to Energy plant for resources optimization.

So, it is shifting from how we source material for making items and how the items are better used in an economic model that is designed to eliminate waste and pollution and thus use till end of its life span. It is also about how some of the good wrappers we obtained from shops should be used till the end of their life span.

Circular-Economy is therefore achieved by regenerating the natural system based on the Waste Management R’s said as the 7Rs principles in Waste Management. The 7Rs principles are Rethink, Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Remanufacture, Recycle and Recovery of resources.

The Principle of Rethink, among others, is to think on how we can make or use a product in a more intensive manner in order to reduce pollution and waste. Example is recycling of used or old tires of vehicles without burning them etc or use of reliable public transportation, instead of use of own cars to reduce pollution and cost etc.

The Principle of Reduce; among others, is by minimizing waste at the source through better product designs and packaging. Also by using few raw materials to manufacture products, that is reduce raw material by mining or extraction or utilization. Say, sourcing Lithium from unwanted items with lithium like from battery recycling or from subsurface brines, instead of mining lithium ore. Also use less or few wrappers for transactions.

Reports indicated that some food vendors will put the food in first in a rubber or transparent plastic material, next in a take away container, then put the take away with the food in a black polythene bag and lastly into a niece or branded polythene bag. So in effect four wrappers So use of less wrappers say less plastic bags in wrapping items otherwise the buyer should keep the last material, say the beautifully made or branded polythene bag, used by a Trader to sell a product for usage hence, in circulation for as long, it is possible or it is in a nice state to minimize the generation of waste and pollution.

The Principle of Reuse is by extending the functional life span of products and components, by keeping products in their original forms and thus giving them a second life. Some Agencies say COCOBOD policy of selling household items used by outgoing CEOs to the CEO, is a laudable idea to reduce waste, since most of the time, the household items may be discarded into refuse dumps etc by the incoming CEOs for new items. Note, in some Institution like the Police, it was alleged that some incoming Police Officers, normally decline to use the same chair and table used by their predecessors. So, the next R is the principle of Repair or Renovate by fixing items rather than discarding them.

The Principle of Recycle is by processing the discarded materials into new grades or lower grade raw materials. The Principle of Remanufacture is by disassembling old products and using their working parts to build new ones for use. The Principle of Recovery is by reclaiming residual values from items that can no longer be reused or recycled. It may involves turning organic waste into compost or the harnessing energy from waste streams to feed back into the economy. Example mechanical shredding or melting of weapons, in a pot or burning of weapons to destroy them and using the scrap material as raw material at Steel Mill

It has been realized that the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms and light weapons, normally burn in a field, the surrendered weapons and/or seized illicit small arms, obsolete/surplus weapons in the hands of security institutions, as part of strategy for small arms control and management. This method of destruction which demand a lot of fuel petrol or diesel to achieve the desire aim is not environmentally friendly, since a lot of black smoke emission is generated into the air.

So, to ensure environmentally friendly (ecofriendly) method, it is hereby recommended that the Commission should adopt a mechanical shredding system, or the use of large scale industrial melting processes, as provided by Steel Companies like Sentou Steel Company. This measure is to prevent air pollution through black smoke emission and to allow recovery of the material value of the steel and nonferrous metals, for the scrap to be sold to Steel Companies with foundries to be recycled into other or new raw materials.

It is important to add that the burnt weapons or the destroyed weapons by the Commission with the resultant scraps so realized in the past were allegedly sold by the Commission to Sentou Steel Mill. So, it may be better that the destruction is done at a Steel Mill, under media coverage as well as live monitoring of the melting or mechanical shredding by a respected Traditional Leader and a respected and honest Leader of a Faith Base Organization, with the Commission supervising the mechanical shredding or melting in a melting pot of a Steel Mill, say at Sentou Steel Mill.

Moving from Linear-Economy to an effective and efficient Circular-Economy Waste Management system must be treated as an economic venture and not a social issue. So, Ghana needs a Waste Resources Management Authority, that is a dedicated specialized centralized waste management authority, as a major procurement entity like VRA, or Minerals Commission etc, to among others to see to the Concession and also to act as a regulator, to get both Local and or Foreign Direct Investment, so as to tackle the escalating sanitization crisis, as an economic venture and not a social problem.

This is critical, since in the Fourth Republic, the waste management system suffered and continues to suffer from fragmented policies, poor Waste Management Standards including no classification/ segregating of waste and poor final disposal infrastructure.

So, the need for a Waste Resources Management Authority to solve the current governance of mixed decentralized and fragmented or localized systems, primarily falling under the Ministry of Local Government etc with her associated local bodies like STMA, TMA, CMA, KMA, AMA etc. Then the Ministry of Environment, and also the Ministry of Sanitation etc as in the Regime of President Nana Addo.

The need for Waste Resources Management Authority is due to the following; (1). Rapid urbanization of cities like Accra which are generating more than 6,000 to 12,000 tons of solid waste a day. So rapid urbanization has outpaced the capacity of Metropolitans, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to manage the waste effectively and efficiently. (2) For Regulatory Enforcement. A National Waste Resources Management Authority would standardize waste segregation, mandate subscription for collection services, penalizes indiscriminating dumping etc.

The call for a Waste Resources Management Authority is to ensure efficient Waste Resource governance imperative, since improper management causes major economic losses and asset casualties, through flooding due to drainage blockages, and health burdens.

Hence need for a Waste Resources Management Authority for shifting from social residue issue to economic imperative by investing in large scale recycling, composting and Waste-to-Energy plants. Thus besides providing wealth and jobs, it could help yield massive returns like saving 97 percent of sanitation related illness, hence reduce the budget on public health, and unlocking massive economic benefits and for job creations.

Currently, collection of solid waste from households exist but the problem is lack of proper envroimental disposal and treatment facilities, so a Waste Resources Management Authority will ensure waste management is done effectively, efficiently and economically or in a sound or safe with a Final Disposal of solid waste.

Waste Resources Management Authority will ensure National Standards with enforceable guidelines for waste classification, collection, and safe disposal. It will come out with proper national coordinating committee to align environmental, health and urban planning policies. It will ensure Source separation by nationwide public education or awareness program for household waste segregations.

Currently, Ghana key policies and incentives include (1) National Plastics Management Policy, which is a blue print, aims to shift the waste into lucrative resources. The Policy is meant to reduce investment risks and encourage both domestic and foreign investors into large Sale Commercial Recycling and Recovery Enterprises. (2). A Plastic Waste Recycling Fund by usage of environmental excise taxes to subsidize local and foreign backed plastic recycling initiative. (3). Issue of tax exemption, immigration quota, and specialized business backing.

Despite these frameworks, the sector faces challenges like inadequate end-user tariff/low recovery rates, weak implementation and enforcements. According to Hon Ms Amaa Ofori, the Executive Secretary for Environmental Services Providers, the current waste management rates are not cost recovery that it fell/falls below international standards, so she called for dedicated funding system.

It is the view of this writer that a well thought plan, would have motivated, the conversion of the COVID- 19 levy to a Disaster Management Levy. Since, notwithstanding the removal of this Levy and other good economic measures as executed by the current regime and Bank of Ghana, the cost of some items remained same as in the previous regime hence not changed with the removal of the levy thus the Clients who have gained ,

It has also been found that the price of some items increased/increase with time. For instance, this writer and his brother, Mr Bawa Adams Gariba used to buy fufu at a food restaurant near TV3 location, Accra, at a minimum of GHC30.00 per bowl/ plate which those days included the COVID-19 levy component before December 2023. But the same place priced the fufu meal at minimum of GHC60.00, when he visited the place in December 2025. The number of staff was not increased, it seemed a reduction.

For the attraction of investors into the Waste Management Sector (1). Government must guarantee project bankability and lower market entry barriers. (2). Ensure Fiscal incentive by providing tax holidays, reduction of corporate tax to 1 percent for the first seven years, customs duty free exemption on specialized recycling equipment, and capital allowances for technology. (3) Develop Public Private Partnership by creating bankable PPP frameworks that reduce risks such as long term off-taker agreements for creating of firms of waste to energy, organic compost or reusable plastics. (4). Digitize and integrate the informal Sector by structured buyback programs and formalize the local waste pickers activities to guarantee a consistent high quality feed supply for large scale processing plants.

Ghana needs to Monetize Carbon Credit by Accessing Green and carbon financing by the International Transferred Mitigation Outcomes under the Paris Agreement. This allows waste-to-energy and composting projects to gain supplementary foreign revenue by selling carbon emission credits. Thus by maximizing climate funding by facilitating carbon offset mechanism and utilizing green funds to subsidize expenditure.

Ghana needs to enforce the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control Act 2016 (Act 917) for establishing predictable, legally backed recycling fee on imported electronic and plastic goods. By this Act 917, funds would be available for domestic management of e-waste for related recycling plants and guarantee consistent returns to operators.

The Government to support Ghana Investment Promotion Center (GIPC) and Public Procurement Authority (PPA) with the necessary requirements to see how to come out with bankable projects and government tenders/ PPP opportunities respectively.

Ghana should invest more in STEM and TEVT Educations, since both act as an incubator for innovation to meet national challenges especially in the green business creation and by that closing or bridging waste management and youth employment gaps.

TEVT Educations sounds better education system than academic theory, since it gives a lot of jobs due to practical application of the tuitions for manufacturing, installation and repair of equipment thus would help in waste management by equipping individuals, with the hands-on skills, required to operate, repair, and innovate waste processing technologies. This will cause a shift from mere waste disposal to sustainable circular economy. So Government should see to the early completion of the Kwadaso TEVT Institute or School, which is about 80 percent complete for it to also attract students.

Also, Ghana should consider to harmonize local policies for attracting large Scale Infrastructure investments and enforcing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for manufacturers to be responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, including funding, the collection and recycling of their packaging or solid wastes.

A good National waste management strategy is therefore important to enable a transition from disorganized localized dumping in a linear economy to a circular economy by shifting focus from disposal of waste resources at landfilling sites to recycling, recovery plants for resources optimization, thus need for unify policy, secure funding, and enforcement of standards at the macro level.

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