As a social enterprise, Safisana has a social, economic, and environmental impact on communities. Currently, we serve over 81,000 direct beneficiaries in the Greater Accra Area, impacting public health, climate, carbon emission, energy transition, and food security. Our mission is to build as many Safisana recycling plants in and outside Ghana that provide sustainable goods to meet basic needs - renewable natural gas, green electricity, and organic fertilizer - to enable and promote the sustainable development of local communities and economies. In this article, we discuss how Safisana's practices contribute to 10 out of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

Our solution contributes to improving the living conditions of the poor by delivering a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment, especially in poor urban areas that lack proper sanitation, waste treatment, and sewerage systems. Our improved sanitation and waste treatment services foster valuable end products - electricity and organic fertilizer- contributing to better social and economic livelihoods. Moreover, improved health enhances productivity, electricity powers homes and businesses, and organic fertilizer replenishes depleted soils, boosts farmer yields and income, and strengthens local food security.

Asase Gyefo, our premium organic fertilizer from organic waste helps farmers replenish depleted soils. Asase Gyefo organic fertilizer increases crop yield by over 20 percent, due to its nutritious components that improve soil fertility. Generally, countries in sub-Saharan Africa lack organic matter in the soil, resulting in low crop yields. Organic fertilizers are vital to enhancing challenges like food security in Africa. The use of organic fertilizer contributes to sustainable and environmentally friendly farming practices. For instance, it strengthens local food production and supply chains.

Proper management of fecal and organic waste from communities improves public health and hygiene rates, especially in densely populated urban areas without sewerage systems connections. Dumped waste into landfills or illegal dumpsites significantly pollutes groundwater, air, and soil. Over 95% of wastewater in developing countries is dumped untreated into the environment. Additionally, over 842 thousand people die yearly from poor water sanitation and health. Safisana works with local SMEs such as (fecal) waste truck drivers who ensure periodical waste removal. Proper fecal and organic waste treatment reduces health risks caused by environmental pollution and disease spreading. Improved health and hygiene enhance not only the overall well-being but also personal dignity.

Women and girls are generally disproportionately affected by the effects of poor sanitation. The inability to access menstrual products and safe sanitation and hygiene facilities negatively impacts their school and working performance, leading to dropout and fewer chances for a good future. Improving health and hygiene strengthens the position and equal chances for women and girls. We partner with NGO Plan International in organizing education training programs that target girls and women. These trainings touch on a wide range of topics, including safe sanitation, waste recycling, and organic farming practices.

Part of the fecal and organic waste treatment at Safisana’s takes place in a bio-digester. The treated waste generates wastewater that we filter with our wastewater treatment system. The treated water can safely be reused for irrigation purposes. Yet, over 95% of wastewater in developing countries is not treated and dumped into the environment. Safisana offers a solution to this problem by providing proper fecal and organic waste treatment services. These services contribute to environmental pollution reduction and avoidance of the spreading of deadly diseases.

In the anaerobic digester at our recycling plant, we produce renewable natural gas that we convert into green electricity. The electricity is fed directly into the national grid through a PPA with the National Electricity Company of Ghana. Waste dumped on landfills emit high numbers GHG emissions into the air, contributing to global warming. We convert it into electricity and make it available to the community.

We provide over 50 direct jobs and 200 indirect jobs yearly. Our plant is locally run and managed by a local team and embedded in a network of partnering SMEs (eg. waste suppliers, fecal truck drivers, public toilet operators, etc). A cleaner, safer, and healthier living environment improves the productivity of people. The availability of electricity and agri inputs also increases opportunities for growth and local prosperity.

We offer an innovative circular and holistic model that addresses many contemporary challenges: climate, health, energy, water, and food. It offers an opportunity for food and beverage industries to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve ESG ambitions, by transitioning to a circular economy approach and renewable energy. For governments, our solution offers a cost-saving alternative to traditional waste management systems, utilities, and sewage systems in the communities, that improve the health and wellbeing of their people.

We implement a circular model based on recovery and reuse of locally available resources, instead of mining and depletion of planet resources and reserves. Our renewable natural gas, green electricity, and premium organic fertilizer are 100 percent carbon neutral as they are recovered from residual waste streams that would otherwise remain unused. In other words, our products are a sustainable and environmentally friendly replacement for imported fossil fuel and chemical fertilizers. The reuse of locally available materials reduces pressure on the climate and the planet's natural reserves. Instead, it strengthens the local production economy. Taking our organic fertilizer as an example. The use of organic fertilizer, because of its ability to replenish depleted soils, leads to improved quality and quantity of yields, i.e. local food supply.

Untreated waste at landfills or illegal dumpsites contribute largely to GHG emissions, (including methane, carbon, and nitrous oxide). Likewise, poorly managed sanitation in areas lacking sewerage and wastewater treatment services contributes to GHG emissions highly. Yet, many urban areas in low and middle-income countries deal with these challenges. The Safisana solution is a scalable and replicable model for any non-sewered urban area that generates valuable products, organic fertilizer, and renewable natural gas while ensuring waste management. Besides, Safisana’s circular model reduces carbon emissions and generates sustainable products that lead to the avoidance of carbon emissions by substituting fossil fuels and chemical fertilizers.

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