Welcome to our recycling plant in Accra, Ghana
In 2017, after seven pioneering years, Safisana opened its first recycling plant in Ashaiman, a community in the Greater Accra area of over 250,000 inhabitants, 90 per cent of whom live below the poverty line.
Commissioned by the local municipality, and the Ministries of Energy, Food and Agriculture, the Safisana plant was the first waste to resource facility in West Africa, financed by the African Development Bank, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and private funds. With the circular economy being firmly still in the theoretic phase, we invested in our relationships with the critical partners, and we learnt what was needed to achieve a truly local approach.
Today the recycling plant located in Ashaiman has grown into an economically stable, locally managed company – run by a team of over 30 highly skilled local specialists. A blueprint for replication.
Social, economic and environmental health impacts
To date the recycling plant has improved the lives of thousands of people living and working in Ashaiman, generating social, economic, and environmental benefits for individuals and the community as a whole.
Improved sanitation services and waste collection have led to a cleaner and hygienic living and working environment with less direct exposure to waste, less spreading of deadly diseases and viruses, and less pollution of air, water and soil. Improved personal health and wellbeing also leads to an increase in productivity and economic livelidhoods. Safisana provides direct employment and work for local SMEs such as waste collecting companies, truck drivers, toilet operators.
The use of renewable clean energy such as biogas and electricity contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate mitigation. The use of nutrient-rich organic fertilizer significantly improves the quality of the soil and quantity in yields, enhancing local food production and food security for the communities.
Meet the people of Ashaiman
Miss Agyeiwaa, Food Vendor at
local Ashaiman Food Market
'Our work environment is cleaner now. We save money instead of paying to the informal waste collectors. This is because Safisana doesn’t charge us for collecting the waste. Their frequent collection is helping to save us from bad odour and some disturbance from rodents we used to experience in the past'
Watch the video about the renovated Ashaiman Market!
Mr. Kwaku Yahaya
Toilet Operator
'I love Safisana. Our faecal matter is recycled into useful products like electricity and biofertilizer. Safisana educates us on how to manage our toilets through hygiene training and on top of it now upgraded my toilet for the second time to a standard that is attracting more customers'
Local farmer Kelly Ampofo from Unique Vegetable Farms Limited
'Ever since I started using Safisana’s Asase Gyefo compost three years ago, I get better yields from my crops in my greenhouse than before'
Kwabena Ampadu Otu - Danquah
Former Director of Renewable Energy
at the Energy Commission
'Proper waste treatment supports climate change response, waste management, and sustainable development simultaneously. We appreciate Safiana’s close-loop, circular economy approach and we would continue to work together to expand the model in other parts of Ghana'
Get involved!
The more waste we recycle, the more impact we can make on peoples health and the einvironment. Are you a large food processing industries that want to start recycling their waste, reduce their carbon footprint and make a health impact on the community? Read more or fill out the contact form here.
Scaling opportunities
Ghana, Kumasi
Project Partners: Clean Team Toilets
Opportunity: Project development and market pre-feasibility on an integrated approach for toilet services (Clean Team) and full waste recycling (Safisana) in Kumasi. Pre-feasibility phase – full project plan by 2023
Uganda, Kampala
Project Partners: National Water and Sewerage Corporation, WaterWorx/Vitens Evides
Status: Pre-feasibility market study completed for the building of a Safisana recycling plant in addition to an existing waste water treatment plant. Preparing for feasibility – full project plan by end 2023
Our local partners
Contact us
Safisana Holding,
Weesp, The Netherlands
+31 (0) 294 773857
info@safisana.org
