This happened after the university’s College of Basic and Applied Sciences Institute of Applied Science and Technology began converting plastic waste into three types of fuel.
The production of turning plastic waste into gasoline is done by recycling it into valuable fuel and chemicals for households or running small engines.
Professor David Dodoo-Arhin, Director of the Institute has announced that the reactor produces three liters of fuel when given three kilograms of plastic waste depending on the condition of the waste.
“The fuel is up to standard and we can use it. We have cooked with petrol and our cars run on petrol and diesel,” he said.
According to him, the model includes everyone in the value chain, especially the collectors, and can be a good way to create jobs for many people, adding that the project is part of the plastic-for-fuel initiative, which started in 2018 with the support initial funding from the University of Ghana BANGA Africa grant program.
He said it will be followed by two years of funding in 2021, through the University of Ghana Research Fund “multidisciplinary category” and in 2022, another two years of co-funding by the “FSPI NYANSAPO” program of the French Embassy.
Prof. Doodo stated that the initiative is in line with Ghana’s National Plastics Action Partnership to support the transition of the public and private sectors to a circular plastic economy thereby, ensuring sustainable plastic management.
The United Nations Development Program has reported that Ghana produces 1.7 million tons of plastic waste every year, with only two percent being recycled with the country struggling with plastic pollution.
Some gutters have been abandoned due to plastic, prompting the country to take bold steps to tackle the menace.
Ghana has officially joined the Global Plastic Action Partnership – an initiative dedicated to eliminating plastic waste and pollution worldwide.