Solid waste management has become a major concern in most countries around the world, mostly Ghana.
The University of Ghana has produced a locally assembled reactor that turns 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.
Professor David Dodoo-Arhin, the Director of the Institute has disclosed that the reactor yields three litres of fuel when fed with three kilograms of waste plastic depending on the conditions the waste was subjected to.
"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 said.
According to him, the model included all the people in the value chain, especially the collectors, and could be a good avenue for job creation for many people adding 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.
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" programme.
Prof. Doodo stated that the initiative was in line with the Ghana National Plastic Action Partnership to support the public and private sector transition to a plastic circular economy thereby, ensuring sustainable plastic management.
The United Nations Development Programme has reported that Ghana produces 1.7 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with only two percent being recycled with the country battling with plastic pollution.
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.
Source: Emmanuel Tornyi(Pulse)
