We need more of Zoomlion's Recycling plant – Dr. Oteng Adjei

The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Oteng Adjei has asked for the establishment of a similar waste recycling plant such as Zoomlion's Accra Compost and Recycling Plant, (ACARP).

The Minister in the company of his newly sworn-in deputy ministers, Dr Bernice Adiku Heloo and Dr Musheibu Mohammed-Alfa made the call during a visit to ACARP's impressive infrastructure.

The purpose of the visit was to gain first-hand knowledge of the workings of the Plant – the only in West Africa.

ACARP is a subsidiary of Zoomlion Company Ltd which is focused on processing waste into usable products such as compost, recycled plastic bottles and in the future – energy.

Ambitious with verifiable track record to show for it, ACARP recycles about 80% waste collected and has a processing capacity of 600 tons.

A visibly impressed Minister and his team have called on investors to seize the opportunity provided by the problem of waste management in Ghana.

Eng Owura K. Sarfo, Managing Director of the company rolled out plans by company to move into the treatment of fecal and plastic materials.

It was the next step after consolidating their expertise in the management of solid waste.

The Plant, a highly capital intensive venture, was not without its challenges. Delays in the payment of management fees by the government through the Ministry of Local Government posed a threat to future investments and expansion.

The Managing Director also mentioned that a high percentage of “nicely wrapped” fecal matter in waste collected was affecting operations since a treatment plant for such waste didn't exist.

The Minister explained the delayed payment of management fees was because withdrawals made from the Consolidated Fund were systematically slow.

A different arrangement has to be made so that payments to ACARP would not have to pass through the Consolidated Fund, the Minister said.

He also charged officials of ACARP to diversify their sources of income by marketing their services and products to a wider client base.

That, he added could help ACARP to operate without having to suffer unduly for delays in payment.

He revealed steps by the Ministry to tax bottling companies to raise funds to readily fulfill their financial obligations to ACARP.

He said the Ministry would support the Plant to cut down on the cost of operations. His outfit would distribute a set of dustbins to help residents to sort out their waste into organic, inorganic and e-waste.