The General Manager of the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), Michael Padi Tuwor, has praised Ghanaians for their growing awareness of the need to segregate household waste but stressed the urgent need for specialized trucks to make the process more effective.
Speaking during a tour of the facility by members of the Parliamentary Press Corps (PPC) on Wednesday, March 19, he emphasized that while households are increasingly separating plastics from organic waste, the lack of specialized trucks means the segregated waste often ends up mixed during collection.
“The awareness is growing, but the challenge remains huge because we don’t have enough specialized trucks to keep the waste separated. If we had more trucks and could collect multiple times a week, we could manage organic and recyclable waste more effectively,” Tuwor explained.
To encourage better waste segregation at the source, the Jospong Group, ACARP’s parent company, has distributed one million free dustbins to households.
Tuwor expressed optimism about the initiative, stating, “Once people understand that what we call waste is not waste but a resource, they will keep it and sell it. This will reduce operational costs and help households see waste as a valuable commodity.”
Transforming waste into resources
Michael Tuwor outlined ACARP’s innovative waste management process, which uses a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) to separate and process various waste components. Organic waste is converted into compost for agricultural use, while plastics such as HDPE, PP, LDPE, and PET are semi-processed into pellets and supplied to manufacturing companies.
He said, “At ACARP, our mandate is to receive waste from homes and markets, recover as much as we can, add value to it, and send it back into the system for reuse. Plastic waste, for us, is a resource. Our vision is to make this world a better place for all.”
Plant reducing landfill waste by 70%
Assistant Plant Manager Benjamin Asante Ayeh revealed that ACARP has significantly reduced the amount of waste sent to landfills by up to 70%, marking a major step forward in sustainable waste management.
“By recovering plastics, leather, and textiles from the waste, about 70% of it is diverted to the recycling section,” Ayeh explained.
He stressed the benefits of organic compost, noting its ability to enrich soil, extend crop shelf life, and reduce the need for artificial fertilizers that harm soil structure.
Inspiring Africa
ACARP’s success has not gone unnoticed. Michael Tuwor disclosed that the plant has become a model for other African countries, with regular visits from delegations seeking to learn from its practices.
“As we speak, we’re sharing our expertise in Lagos, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Conakry, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Ethiopia. Almost every week, a country visits us to learn what we’re doing here,” Tuwor said proudly.
Government support
Both Tuwor and Ayeh emphasized the importance of government subsidies in sustaining ACARP’s operations.
Ayeh noted, “This whole process wouldn’t be possible without government support. They help alleviate most of our operational costs. Without subsidies, our impact on reducing landfill congestion would be limited.”
Tuwor echoed this sentiment, calling for continued collaboration to expand ACARP’s reach and impact and warned that not sustaining the operations would be worse.
“We’re making strides, but we need more support to keep innovating and leading the way in sustainable waste management,” he said.
The General Manager stressed that ACARP’s efforts are not only transforming waste into valuable resources but also inspiring a cleaner, greener future for Ghana and beyond adding, “Waste is not a burden—it’s a resource. Together, we can turn trash into treasure.”
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com