The main objective is to find out the factors related to solid waste supply, compost demand, economics, institutions, and technology determine success and failure of municipal waste composting in West Africa in general and Ghana in particular?.

OBJECTIVE

To increase awareness among municipal and national authorities for an improved rural-urban nutrient cycle by identifying economically and socially acceptable recycling options for organic waste stream products for farmers in urban and rural areas, especially within the rural-urban interface.

METHODS

• Multi-disciplinary in-depth surveys as feasibility study in 3 Ghanaian cities and study of existing compost stations in 5 countries. A modified version of the recycling loop was used as project framework. It has the following five study segments.
• The supply of organic waste (production, quality, quantity, time, availability, …)
• The demand for waste compost (who, where, how much, when, perception, possible price)
• The process of waste composting including the determination of optimal number, capacity, and location of compost stations per city (linked to segment 1, 2 and 4)
• The economic analysis linking supply, demand and process segments and comparing composting with other waste management options.
• Legal, institutional and communal factors affecting the set-up and sustainable management/ ownership of compost stations.

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