Ghana’s long-standing sanitation challenge could soon become a thing of the past if a pioneering model developed by scientists at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Institute of Industrial Research (CSIR-IIR) gains nationwide attention and adoption.
The institute says it has successfully operated a zero-waste system for seven years, without relying on any external waste collection services.
“We believe we can solve the sanitation problem of the country,” declared Dr. Francis Boateng Agyenim, Director of CSIR-IIR, when journalists participating in the UK-Ghana STI Media Capacity Building Programme visited the institute in Accra on Friday, March 13.
“For seven solid years, no organisation has picked waste from this institute,” he said. “Nobody has picked waste from here.”
The media training programme, designed to deepen journalists’ understanding of science and technology reporting, was organised by the British High Commission in Accra in partnership with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology’s Responsible AI Lab, the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations.
During the visit, Dr Agyenim introduced the journalists to what he described as a “Zero Waste Disposal Community,” a concept the institute has implemented within its premises through a combination of innovative technologies.
He explained that the model forms part of a broader sustainability concept known as “Go 100,” which aims to reduce institutional consumption of key resources to near zero.
The first pillar of the initiative focuses on waste management. Through internal waste treatment technologies, the institute has eliminated the need for external waste collection for nearly a decade.
Energy consumption forms the second pillar. According to Dr Agyenim, the institute drastically reduced its electricity expenditure after installing its own energy systems.
“We were paying about GHS14,000 every month,” he said. “With our own installations, we brought that down to about GHS3,000.”
Water independence is the third component of the system. The institute operates a solar-powered borehole that supplies water to most facilities within the compound.
“Apart from the water that we drink, all the water used in the washrooms and across the institute is pumped from our own borehole,” he explained.
The fourth element involves technological innovation in grounds maintenance and agriculture. Scientists at the institute have developed their own mowing equipment capable of maintaining compounds and supporting environmentally friendly farming.
The locally developed mower, Dr Agyenim said, can be used on farms where crops are planted in rows, helping farmers manage weeds without the use of chemicals.
“These are not theories,” he stressed. “These are things that we have practiced here.”
Despite the success of the technologies, Dr Agyenim believes the model remains largely under-reported and under-utilised across the country.
“But we have not had the opportunity to meet you to bring this to you, for all of us to popularise it together,” he told the visiting journalists, urging the media to help highlight locally developed scientific solutions.
He noted that several of the institute’s water technologies are already being supplied to organisations, demonstrating their commercial viability.
Beyond these innovations, Dr Agyenim emphasised that CSIR-IIR operates under four key mandates: conducting research, transferring knowledge, commercialising products, and advising the government on science and industrial development.
As Ghana continues to grapple with mounting waste management and environmental challenges, the institute’s experience suggests that homegrown scientific solutions could hold the key to transforming sanitation and resource management across the country.
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