Education for better waste management

Image: Agbogbloshie in Accra – formerly a byword for piles of garbage, now a place that is changing through new approaches to waste management.

Image rights: andrea – stock.adobe.com

 

 

Komptech, a specialist for waste processing technology and systems headquartered in Austria, has supplied machines to countries in Africa and Asia for years. It is very often evident that technical equipment alone is not enough – it is just as important that the local people have the knowledge required to operate systems efficiently and to set up sustainable structures. With a broad-based education project, Komptech and its Ghanian partners are collaborating to set up knowledge transfer and long-term structures that will propel waste management forward.

 

TOGETHER FOR SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

This has resulted in the idea for the Waste Academy, a comprehensive education project in cooperation with Ghana’s Jospong Group, Vienna Technical University and the ICEP association, which seeks to combine economic development with sustainable development. The goal is to contribute to the sustainable development of the waste sector in Ghana by means of targeted training and further education. The Austrian Development Agency (ADA) supports the project within the framework of Austrian development cooperation.

 

A CHALLENGING NEW START

Ghana generates about five million tonnes of domestic waste every year. It is estimated that 70 to 80% of that could be recycled, but currently only a small portion is collected and processed. To improve the situation, the disposal system was decentralized in recent years. Since then, local authorities and private companies have taken on more responsibility for developing the corresponding infrastructure.

One of these actors is the Jospong Group, which operates waste recycling plants in all regions of Ghana, is active in domestic waste collection, and manages landfills. Since 2018 the company has worked with Komptech, which so far has supplied machines and plants for 13 locations. Ghana is moving step by step towards a more modern, circular waste economy.

At the same time central challenges remain. In addition to the lack of infrastructure, these include weak legal frameworks, scant financing models and low environmental awareness. The general public, local administration and private business are called upon to recycle waste properly. Most of all, there is a lack of qualified professionals in all areas of the waste industry. This is where the Waste Academy comes in.

 

Image: From classroom to practice: In local training sessions, attendees receive comprehensive
instructionin proper processing and efficient machine operation.

 

INTEGRATED WASTE MANAGEMENT

The central focus of the project is the establishment of long-term educational offerings on subjects like the circular economy, recycling and integrated waste treatment. Measures comprise in-person instruction in Ghana, E-learning, a postgraduate programme, seminars and field trips. This is supplemented by awareness-building and accompanied by research.

The target groups vary widely. Priority for training goes to Jospong Group employees. Some of them take on a further education function as multipliers within the organization. The project also addresses other industry specialists and representatives of administration and the public sector.

Participation by multiple institutions ensures sound content and practical implementation. Vienna Technical University contributes scientific expertise in waste and resource management, Komptech contributes specific technical expertise and the ICEP focuses on the social effects of the project, while Jospong, with its knowledge of local conditions, ensures that the educational efforts have a lasting effect.

 

TRAINING AND FIELD TRIPS

In the first year and half of the project much has already been accomplished. 130 persons have received training, and 15 local trainers have been educated. During the next two years further training is planned at 16 locations in Ghana, for around 500 technicians and leaders. The next generation is also being included, with 60 students from vocational school getting the opportunity to gain their first professional experience in technical internships.

Parallel to that an online academy is being developed in order to offer teaching digitally over the long term, on topics such as composting, thermal waste treatment and landfill management. Of particular interest is the planned postgraduate program to be offered jointly by Vienna Technical University and the Ghanaian KNUST university.

 

„This knowledge transfer is enhancing our operations and helping us build a cleaner, more resilient Ghana.“

Jacob Kwaku Ladi,
Group Head – Performance Management, L&D
Jospong Group of Companies

 

One milestone in the project was the March 2025 visit to Austria by a delegation of seven technical and management leaders of the Jospong Group. The one-week programme included visits to a composting plant, the Graz municipal resource park, reclamation plants for refuse-derived fuel and a cement works. Alongside the technical aspects, discussions with project partners were an important component. Attendees participated in the CorporAID conference organized by the ICEP, at which representatives of ADA, the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and the Foreign Ministry engaged with the delegation.

 

A SHARED LEARNING PROCESS

The Waste Academy is an example of how knowledge transfer and the establishment of local expertise can go hand-in-hand. The project focuses not just on short-term knowledge transfer, but on building sustainable structures with long-term effectiveness that are adapted to local needs.

At the same time, it is evident that development works best in a partnership. The combined forces of business, science and civil society are giving rise to an education programme that can serve as a model beyond the borders of Ghana.

 

United Nations SDGs Website https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment.
The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and
does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.

 

This is the online version of the article “Education for better waste management” from the Komptech magazine Opportunity / Issue No. 4 (2025) ↗

Image rights: All images © Komptech GmbH where not otherwise indicated.

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