Accra: Ghana has intensified efforts to transition from a linear to a circular economy through a national capacity-building initiative aimed at promoting sustainability and reducing waste. The five-year Ghana Circular Economy Centre (GCEC) Project is being implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), with funding from Global Affairs Canada.
According to Ghana News Agency, the project, hosted at Ho Technical University, serves as a national hub for research, innovation, and partnerships focused on advancing circular solutions. Dr. Halid Abu-Bakar, an International Circular Economy Expert, stated that the project would help Ghana minimize waste generation and create value from materials that are typically discarded. He highlighted the current situation where only a fraction of the country’s waste is recycled or upcycled, with the majority ending up in open dumps or landfills.
Dr. Abu-Bakar emphasized the expectation that by strengthening systems and building strong partnerships supported by sound policy, Ghana can move toward a sustainable circular economy. The aim is to reduce waste generation and create more value from existing materials.
Mr. Joseph Yeboah, Strategic Partnerships and Engagements Lead at GCEC, mentioned that the programme started with a training-of-trainers session for key partner institutions, including Ho Technical University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and the University of Cape Coast. The initiative seeks to build the capacity of these institutions to re-examine their work and apply circular economy principles within teaching, research, and practice.
Participants, including environmental educators, are expected to use the knowledge gained to raise awareness and influence behavioral change within their schools and communities. Mr. Yeboah explained that the project would help participants explore how circular business models could address inefficiencies and environmental costs associated with the traditional linear economy.
One of the facilitators at the workshop pointed out that waste is the most visible evidence of the failure of the linear economy, which follows a take-make-dispose pattern with no real plan for what happens at the end of life. Mr. Yeboah stressed that genuine circularity requires eliminating waste at the design stage rather than managing it after production. He clarified that many people equate the circular economy with recycling, but it’s about working upstream to prevent waste, create durable materials, and ensure that by-products have a purpose.