CIRCULAR ECONOMY

OPPORTUNITIES IN GHANA

Conference Report

7-8 May, 2019

1

Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 2

Programme Outline ....................................................................................................................................... 3

Welcome session ........................................................................................................................................... 5

Expert Panel: What Is Circular Economy and What Is Being Done in Ghana ................................................. 6

Roundtable: What Kind of Opportunities, Challenges and Needs of the Circular Economy Enterprises? ..... 8

Working Groups .......................................................................................................................................... 10

Sustainable Agriculture ....................................................................................................................... 10

Plastics ................................................................................................................................................. 11

Electronics ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Plenary session - Results.............................................................................................................................. 11

Way forward ................................................................................................................................................ 13

Appendix 1 – Participant List ....................................................................................................................... 15

Appendix 2 – Summaries from Working Groups ......................................................................................... 16

2

Introduction The recent rise of Circular Economy has attracted significant attention for its potential to disrupt

the more traditional and linear models of development. With the increasing challenge of climate

change, global economic downturn, stagnant development - including the short and long-term

consequences of poor planning and population growth, nearly all of the attention has been on

how governments, private sector, academia, universities and communities at large can create a

more sustainable world. The vision of the Circular Economy Conference was to focus the

conversation specifically on circular opportunities in Ghana by broadening the discussion to

consider: what circular opportunity means for Ghana, new frameworks for enhancing Circular

Economy, opportunities and job creation.

Consequently, on 7-8 May 2019, the international conference “Circular Economy Opportunities

in Ghana” hosted by the EU took place in Ghana at the Labadi Beach Hotel. The conference

provided a platform for government representatives as well as experts and private sector

stakeholders to initiate the Circular Economy opportunities dialogue and better understand the

dynamics for Circular Economy opportunities in Ghana by exchanging views on joint

opportunities and measures to overcome challenges, including deliberations on solutions that

will enable Circular Economy serve the development needs of Ghana.

With this in mind, the conference was organised around two main sessions and three working

groups over the two days. The first session ‘Circular Economy: What Is Circular Economy and

What Is Being Done in Ghana’ examined the definition of Circular Economy and the practice in

Africa including connections and platforms. The second session ‘What Kind of Opportunities,

Challenges and Needs of the Circular Economy Enterprises?’ looked at the businesses and

opportunities in Circular Economy Development. The working groups were a practical sessions

to discuss the practices, policies and opportunities of Circular Economy in the follwing thematic

groups: electronics, plastics and sustainable agriculture.

The conference brought together more than 188 participants from government departments,

development agencies, local planning authorities, private consultants, academics, civil society

networks and locally and international businesses.

This Report, therefore, is designed to be the beginning of a conversation (and debate) on the

future of Circular Economy Opportunities in Ghana. Documenting the experiences, research,

lessons and discussions from the conference.

The main takeaway is that there exists huge interest for action but without the requisite

knowledge and mechanisms for coordination that would enable the value chain collaboration

required for a transition to circular economy.

3

Programme Outline

CIRCULAR ECONOMY OPPORTUNITIES IN GHANA 7-8 MAY 2019

DAY 1 (7TH OF MAY 2019)

08.30 08.30 08.30 08.30 ---- 09.00 09.00 09.00 09.00 REGISTRATION OF THE PARTICIPANTS

OPENING SESSION

09.00 09.00 09.00 09.00 ---- 09.3009.3009.3009.30 European Union Delegation to Ghana Ambassador H.E Mrs Diana

Acconcia

Accra Metropolitan Assembly HON. Mr Mohammed Adjei

Sowah

MESTI - Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and

Innovation

HON. Ms Patricia Appiagyei

09.30 09.30 09.30 09.30 ---- 09.5009.5009.5009.50 KEY NOTE ADDRESSES

CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THECIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THECIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THECIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THE EU EU EU EU –––– POLICIES AND STRATEGIEPOLICIES AND STRATEGIEPOLICIES AND STRATEGIEPOLICIES AND STRATEGIESSSS

Mrs Astrid Schomaker

DG Environment

09.50 09.50 09.50 09.50 ---- 10.5010.5010.5010.50 PANEL

CIRCULAR ECONOMY: WHAT IS CIRCULAR ECONOMYCIRCULAR ECONOMY: WHAT IS CIRCULAR ECONOMYCIRCULAR ECONOMY: WHAT IS CIRCULAR ECONOMYCIRCULAR ECONOMY: WHAT IS CIRCULAR ECONOMY

AND WHAT IS BEING DONE IN AND WHAT IS BEING DONE IN AND WHAT IS BEING DONE IN AND WHAT IS BEING DONE IN GHANAGHANAGHANAGHANA

Moderator: Freek Vaneijk

What is Circular Economy Ms Heather Troutman

Researcher

The Circular Economy in Africa Ms Joanna Bingham

African Circular Economy

Network

Connect - Waste Resource Platform in Ghana Mr Paolo Dalla Stela

UNDP

10.45 10.45 10.45 10.45 ---- 11.0011.0011.0011.00 Introduction of the programme by facilitator Ms Blanka Bellak

11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 ---- 11.3011.3011.3011.30 COFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAK

11.30 11.30 11.30 11.30 ---- 13.0013.0013.0013.00 ROUND TABLE

WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND NEEDS OF WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND NEEDS OF WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND NEEDS OF WHAT KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND NEEDS OF

THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY ENTERPRISES?ENTERPRISES?ENTERPRISES?ENTERPRISES?

Moderator: Freek Vaneijk

GRIPE - Ghana Recycling Initiative by private Entreprises Ms Naa Quaynor-Mettle

European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC) Mr Emmanuel Katrakis

City Waste Recycling Ms Vivian Ahiayibor

Bamboo Bikes Ms Bernice Dapaah

Close the loop Mr Reinhardt Smit

Environment 360 Professor Oteng Ababio

Safi Sana Ghana Limited Mr Raymond Okrofu Ategbi

13.00 13.00 13.00 13.00 ---- 14.3014.3014.3014.30 LUNCH BREAKLUNCH BREAKLUNCH BREAKLUNCH BREAK

14.30 14.30 14.30 14.30 ---- 16.3016.3016.3016.30 Thematic Groups: Forum participants

Electronics Plastics Sustainable

Agriculture

Facilitation by

experts on the theme

REFRESHMENTS

DAY 2 (8TH OF MAY 2019)DAY 2 (8TH OF MAY 2019)DAY 2 (8TH OF MAY 2019)DAY 2 (8TH OF MAY 2019)

09.00 09.00 09.00 09.00 ---- 11.0011.0011.0011.00 Continuation of the Thematic groups Forum participants Forum participants

Electronic Waste Plastic Waste

management

Agriculture

and Energy

Facilitation by

experts on the theme

11.00 11.00 11.00 11.00 ---- 11.3011.3011.3011.30 COFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAK

4

11.30 11.30 11.30 11.30 ---- 12.0012.0012.0012.00 Presentation of the workshop results by moderators Working Groups Moderators

12.00 12.00 12.00 12.00 ---- 12.4512.4512.4512.45 Discussion

12.45 12.45 12.45 12.45 ---- 13.0013.0013.0013.00 CLOSING REMARKSCLOSING REMARKSCLOSING REMARKSCLOSING REMARKS

EUD to Ghana Ambassador - H.E. Diana

Acconcia

13.00 14.0013.00 14.0013.00 14.0013.00 14.00 LUNCH

5

Welcome session H.E. Ambassador Ms. Diana Acconcia, European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Hon. Ms. Patricia

Appiagyei, Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Hon.

Mr. Mohammed Adjei Sowah, Mayor of Accra, and Ms. Astrid Schomaker, DG for Environment,

European Commission, opened the International Conference on Circular Economy Opportunities

in Ghana on Tuesday, 7 May, 2019.

In her opening speech, H.E H.E H.E H.E AmbassadorAmbassadorAmbassadorAmbassador Mrs. Diana AcconciaMrs. Diana AcconciaMrs. Diana AcconciaMrs. Diana Acconcia, welcomed participants to the first

seminar on Circular Economy by the EU in Ghana. She urged delegates to network, discuss and

exchange ideas because Circular Economy opportunities abound in Ghana. She expressed her

excitement about the programme and voiced her support for “green growth” in Ghana, which

she said “economic growth and development can go hand in hand with protecting the

environment”. She further underscored that Circular Economy is a great opportunity and a

transition to a more Circular Economy is essential for a more sustainable, resource efficient and

a competitive economy. Highlighting Ghana’s ambitious plan under its Nationally Determined

Contributions (NDCs), she indicated that this seminar was part of the conversation to factor the

environment into future cooperation between EU and Ghana.

Hon. Mr. Mohammed Adjei SowahHon. Mr. Mohammed Adjei SowahHon. Mr. Mohammed Adjei SowahHon. Mr. Mohammed Adjei Sowah, Mayor of Accra, welcomed participants to the City of Accra.

He spoke of the major challenges that the world currently faces and called for urgent action to

fundamentally change undesirable habits. He spoke of the aptness of the topic and the

opportunities Circular Economy offered for responsible production and consumption, aimed at

minimizing waste, climate care and sustainable preservation of raw material resources. He

indicated that examples abound in the EU of how circularity improves standards of living, boosts

economic development and promotes renewables and recycling. Noting the importance of

Circular Economy for sustainable development, he highlighted that Ghana must therefore

embrace circularity as a sustainable tool and align its strategies appropriately to address its

environmental challenges, drive investments and growth, including job creation.

Hon. Ms. Patricia AppiagyeiHon. Ms. Patricia AppiagyeiHon. Ms. Patricia AppiagyeiHon. Ms. Patricia Appiagyei, Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and

Innovation (MESTI) expressed her excitement about the level of youth participation in the

conference. She indicated that Circular Economy is an alternative to the traditional linear

economy and it ensures resources are in use for as long as possible. She also opined that Circular

Economy can help Ghana make the most of its scarce resources whilst reducing environmental

impacts. According to the Deputy Minister, Ghana’s transition to agreed determined

contributions and the attainment of the sustainable development goals cannot be achieved

without a Circular Economy. She concluded that government will continue to focus on

implementing suitable policies for enhanced people centred climate action including promoting

the contributions of the private sector as well as green economic policies for poverty eradication.

6

Ms. Astrid SchomakerMs. Astrid SchomakerMs. Astrid SchomakerMs. Astrid Schomaker, DG for Environment, European Commission, called for a renewed

partnership between EU and Ghana to work side by side on Circular Economy. She expressed the

EU’s vision that a sustainable future is by necessity a circular future and indicated what the EU is

doing to make the concept a reality and what it can also mean for Ghana. She said the EU’s idea

of a circular future is moving towards a closed loop where waste becomes a resource and

underscored the need for policies to enable us to make the needed shift. She recommended that

Circular Economy should be integrated in Ghanaian policy and expressed the desires of the EU to

help Ghana as it embarks on an industrialisation drive to move to a Circular Economy.

Expert Panel: What Is Circular Economy and What Is Being Done in

Ghana The panel, moderated by Mr. Freek Vaneijk, Director of the Holland Circular Hotspot, featured

Ms. Heather Troutman Researcher, Urban Planner and Environmental Scientist, Ms. Joanna

Bingham of the Africa Circular Economy Network and Mr. Paolo Dalla Stella of the UNDP.

MMMMssss.... Heather TroutmanHeather TroutmanHeather TroutmanHeather Troutman began the presentation by asking “what is Circular Economy?” She

explained that it was a framework for an economy which is restorative and regenerative by

design. She indicated that Circular Economy is not a new phenomenon but an ancient mindset

for the next industrial revolution. She went on to speak on key features of Circular Economy

including what she called feedback rich non-linear circular systems, where benefits and values

stay within a system rather than continuously flow out. From her presentation she raised various

questions including how to close the loop of consumption. She continued her presentation by

speaking about the drivers of Circular Economy and listed among other challenges, climate

change, resource depletion, inequality and population growth which increase demand on

resources. Ms. Troutman presented some underlying principles and fundamentals for a Circular

Economy and demonstrated the evolution of the idea that birthed Circular Economy and how it

has been delivered through the generations. She finished her presentations by communicating

that Circular Economy has gone through a long transition and has reached a pinnacle where

major stakeholders are coming together to discuss, plan and deliver on a Circular Economy.

Joanna BinghamJoanna BinghamJoanna BinghamJoanna Bingham of the Africa Circular Economy Network’s presentation, entitled “Circular

Economy in Africa,” shared what Circular Economy is not by indicating that it is not a one-size fits

all concept that could be imported from Europe, elaborating that it has to be adapted to the

local context and its locally available resources and needs. In the case of Ghana, this means high

levels of low-skilled workers and job creation. She also said it is not a new phenomenon in Ghana

and made further indications that it was for that reason many individuals from Europe have

come to learn from Ghana. She underscored what circular economies could mean for Ghana.

Touching on the African Circular Economy Network (ACEN), she indicated that African Circular

Economy Network’s vision is to build restorative African economies that generate well-being and

prosperity, inclusive of all its people and environmental resources. Explaining the network’s

7

activities, she indicated that African Circular Economy Network (ACEN) was a non-profit, with a

human-centered approach to job creation, well-being and addressing poverty. She went on to

describe the organization’s structure, countries of operation and the work they do and the

people they work with. She finally laid the gauntlet for any further collaborations. Moving on,

she went on to describe some of the activities of her organization, Footprints Africa by sharing

some of the work they’re engaged in.

Reflecting on what Circular Economy is not, she stressed that Circular Economy is at the risk of

losing all meaning by becoming the new buzz word for sustainability. This was something in her

estimation needed to be avoided, she went on to debunk a few myths and deepened

participants understanding of Circular Economy including partnerships needed to make it

happen. She concluded that the desired outcome is a future where different stakeholders see

the value of moving to Circular Economy and this can be achieved by collaboration and deep

listening.

Finally, MrMrMrMr.... Paolo Dalla Stella of the UNDPPaolo Dalla Stella of the UNDPPaolo Dalla Stella of the UNDPPaolo Dalla Stella of the UNDP rounded the session with a presentation on “Multi-

Stakeholder Waste Resource Platform”, he discussed UNDP’s recent initiative on Circular

Economy starting from the waste management sector. He gave a brief background into the

establishment of the digital platform, citing the challenges of waste management in Ghana and

the enormous potential as materials in transition. According to Mr. Dalla Stella, they found that a

lot was being done in Ghana however various challenges including access to data, weak

partnerships and poor synergies hampered waste management and responsible waste

development. In answering the question of accessibility and interconnectivity, his outfit came up

with a one-stop-shop, digital shared platform to connect all the relevant stakeholders in real-

time.

He explained that the development of the website will serve as a repository of all the relevant

information and data regarding waste management and waste recovery opportunities in Ghana

and beyond. Additionally, he also shared with participants another solution that was in

development. He explained that they also had another digital product in development - an app,

which he termed an “uber” for waste producers and those who are interested in buying these

material resource, with the idea of connecting and facilitating online trade.

Further iterating what his outfit had been doing on waste recovery. He stated that his outfit had

launched a waste recovery innovation challenge to complement the other innovations that had

been mentioned earlier. He said the innovative challenge would provide technical and financial

support to businesses testing innovative solutions for waste recovery and also research and

advocacy projects. On the whole, these platforms in his estimation, would contribute to Circular

Economy in Ghana by connecting stakeholders and improving the information flows for waste

management in Ghana.

Underlying each presentation was the acknowledgement that Circular Economy is here to stay.

However, although Circular Economy serves as a creative solution to the current linear model of

8

development, it must continue to address the fundamental issues of sustainable resource

management, equity and well-being, including job creation that have always been central

concerns to developing countries. Finally, the audience raised important questions about private

sector participation, ownership of Circular Economy, including issue of growth and metrics.

Roundtable: What Kind of Opportunities, Challenges and Needs of the

Circular Economy Enterprises? Moderated by Mr. Freek Vaneijk, Director, Holland Circular Hotspot, the Panelist on the topic:

What Kind of Opportunities, Challenges and Needs of the Circular Economy Enterprises?

Panelists included: Ms. Naa Quaynor-Mettle of Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Entreprises

(GRIPE), Mr Emmanuel Katrakis, European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC), Ms Vivian

Ahiayibor, City Waste Recycling Ghana, Ms Bernice Dapaah, Bamboo Bikes Ghana, Mr Reinhardt

Smit, Closing the loop, Professor Oteng Ababio, Environment 360 Ghana, and Mr Raymond

Okrofu Ategbi, Safi Sana Ghana Limited

This session was structured as a roundtable discussion. The roundtable was to share ideas on

how Circular Economy works. The discussion was introduced by a brief presentation of the

background stories of the panelists - who they are, what businesses they are into, ambitions,

successes and challenges, what they need to make Circular Economy works amongst others.

This was followed by the facilitation of the discussion by Mr Freek Vaneijk. He invited panelists to

reflect on different aspects of Circular Economy, opportunities, challenges and test cases. The

main points that emerged during the discussions are outlined below.

What does What does What does What does Circular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular Economy means for themeans for themeans for themeans for the future of businesses? future of businesses? future of businesses? future of businesses?

• Going into the future, there was a need for better and scalable business models for

Circular Economy to work effectively and hopefully fund recycling facilities in local

economies like Ghana.

• In order for serious investment for Circular Economy projects to scale up, different

stakeholders including funders, government, private sector, academia etc. must

collaborate actively.

• Capacity development which is a challenge must be addressed both in the formal and

informal sectors. There must be an organized waste pickers association

• Technology and finance must also be looked at firmly. It was noticed that most financial

institutions shy away from green business and therefore must be discussed further.

• In order to close the loop and create a Circular Economy, it must fundamentally start

from smart designs. It was noticed that some of the materials that come in locally are not

recyclable therefore creating waste.

• Product design and marketing must come with some responsibility of making sure

products are well design, has extended shelf life and when in no more in use recycled.

9

• There must be collaboration between industry players and decision makers to enhance

enforcement of policies and regulations. There has to be a point where industries must

own their waste, thereby getting to a point of extended producer responsibility.

• We must get a close loop where we have take-back systems to minimize waste, creating

jobs along the way by using the triple bottom-line approach.

• Public education and attitudinal change is needed to make Circular Economy work.

• For packaging plastics, there must be a role for everybody to play right from production

to consumption and along the value chain. Additionally, there must be separate

collection and sorting centres in place

FFFFinancing inancing inancing inancing waste management in a waste management in a waste management in a waste management in a Circular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular Economy, how does it work, how does it work, how does it work, how does it work and who decidesand who decidesand who decidesand who decides????

• Calls for a private sector led Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system managed in

partnership with key stakeholders like the government and civil society. Additionally, also

looking at new partner that can contribute to the funds.

How can we use the informal sector to move towards a How can we use the informal sector to move towards a How can we use the informal sector to move towards a How can we use the informal sector to move towards a Circular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular Economy????

• The informal sector in Ghana is very important and they play a key role in waste

management because 1) they have the expertise 2) they are on the ground and better

understand the local conditions. Therefore, any models that do not take into account the

very important role of this sector might not work.

• In the future, the informal sector may be formalizing with training and engagement. Also

the new Act of Parliament (Act 917) coming into force, it will help to formalize the

informal sector. This will help them use best practices, stay healthy and earn decent

incomes.

What can Europe do to help with Ghana’s drive for a What can Europe do to help with Ghana’s drive for a What can Europe do to help with Ghana’s drive for a What can Europe do to help with Ghana’s drive for a Circular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular EconomyCircular Economy????

• It was highlighted that technology transfer is key, in order to close the loop and make a

turn towards a more Circular Economy, they shared importance of how Europe can help

Ghana with technologies for recycling and turning waste to resources in a shared

manner.

• There also need to build partnerships and collaboration on best practices and

experiences.

• There are many opportunities in Ghana for building circular businesses and Europe can

bring Investments and technologies, with money to be made on both sides.

The floor was opened up to the participants, who raised a number of important questions on the

implementation of Circular Economy in Ghana, including the issue regarding private sector led

EPR, resistant to change, planning and design, jurisdictional barriers for plastic waste recycling in

Ghana among others. The seven panelists fine-tuned the potential of Circular Economy as a

medium that must be encouraged and made to work in Ghana.

10

Working Groups In order to develop practical solutions for improved Circular Economy practices in Ghana, three

parallel thematic Working Groups convened on Tuesday, 7 May in the afternoon, and on

Wednesday, 8 May, in the morning, to exchange from the point of view of Circular Economy on

• Sustainable Agriculture

• Plastics

• Electronics

Each Group considered a number of sub-themes providing the opportunity to think through and

propose ideas and actions for uptake. The outcomes of the Working Groups have been

summarized below as presented. More details are presented in the annex II to this report.

Sustainable Agriculture

The Working Group on Sustainable Agriculture, was facilitated by Joanna Bingham. The

participants exchanged on what Circular Economy means in practice on an individual level and

collectively, particularly with a lot of circularity already in Ghana. The real question was how to

take what works and really understand why it works so it can be preserved and applied in

different ways.

The table below synthesises the main points discussed and the level of familiarity of the

participants around these topics:

STRENGTHSTRENGTHSTRENGTHSTRENGTH TOPICTOPICTOPICTOPIC

UNDERSTOODUNDERSTOODUNDERSTOODUNDERSTOOD - reusing organic materials for animal feed and compost

- making natural pesticides

DISCUSSIONDISCUSSIONDISCUSSIONDISCUSSION

- new business models for knowledge-sharing & research (made accessible to low

income communities to support local job creation)

- innovative use of natural materials

- waste to energy

MENTIONEDMENTIONEDMENTIONEDMENTIONED

- soil preservation

- new business models for transportation & (reverse) logistics, equipment

- decentralisation to maximise local value

- perverse incentives from subsidised chemical fertiliser

- declining nutritional content of crops

- standards/ standardisation of models to be adopted

11

Plastics

Opening the presentation, Heather Troutman, the facilitator of the group, observed that the

plastics industry in Ghana is well connected along the value chain, which is a significant step

towards identifying circular solutions. This group has already brought itself together around the

problem of plastic pollution, which has served as a catalyst for innovative and collaborative

solutions. This is because the industry has realised that the problem is too large for any

individual actor to solve.

The table below synthesises the main points discussed and the level of familiarity of the

participants around these topics:

STRENGTHSTRENGTHSTRENGTHSTRENGTH TOPICTOPICTOPICTOPIC

UNDERSTOODUNDERSTOODUNDERSTOODUNDERSTOOD

- Doing away with single use plastics

- Providing alternative materials to plastic

- Source separation of waste at the household level

DISCUSSIONDISCUSSIONDISCUSSIONDISCUSSION - Self-education and being an ambassador for change

- Using social media responsibly

MENTIONEDMENTIONEDMENTIONEDMENTIONED

- Encourage the set-up of buyback centres

- Adopt “smart policies” & their implementation

- Engage faith-based groups as ambassadors for behaviour change

Electronics

This Working Group was facilitated by Ms. Ama Duncan. Discussion during the two days centred

on enabling environment, knowledge, job creation and actions for an effective Electronics

Circular Economy, individual and collective action. During the period, the issues raised include

legislation, capacity, job creation, enforcement and participatory decision making. A

presentation of the group’s finding was made at the plenary. Key take-aways were:

• Calls for a need for waste segregation;

• Need to do smart green procurement;

• Building capacity of electronic waste dealers;

• Access to cheaper sources of finance including building the capacity of the financial

sector.

Plenary session - Results This plenary session was moderated by Ms. Blanka Bellak from Leadership Associates. It featured

all facilitators and numerous participants, who reported on the key results from working groups.

Blanka Bellak summarized the key results of the Seminar:

12

• The Seminar masterfully blended the European and Ghanaian perspectives on Circular

Economy. The participants highlighted that many Ghanaian practices are highly circular

and numerous Ghanaian companies have highly circular business models already but

perhaps they have not yet considered this aspect fully.

• The Seminar broke away from the often very technical and intimidating language of

Circular Economy and zoomed in on the principles of Circular Economy and how these

are being applied and applicable in Ghana.

• The participants from Ghana and Europe highlighted that there is ample commitment

present and concluded that the turning this commitment into specific actions will need

further deliberations and specific actions on part of a broad range of stakeholders.

• Most importantly, there was a consensus among the participants that none of us can

afford waiting for the perfect legal and social environment, but we need to do whatever

is possible now to drive the Circular Economy forward. We need to be bold and design

safe-to-fail experiments from which we can learn fast.

In her closing statement, H.E. Ambassador Ms. Diana AcconciaH.E. Ambassador Ms. Diana AcconciaH.E. Ambassador Ms. Diana AcconciaH.E. Ambassador Ms. Diana Acconcia, European Union Ambassador to

Ghana, noted that Circular Economy is appealing in saving the planet and making money. She

acknowledged the high conference turnout and the diversity of participant which she described

as a “really good mix”. She gave the indication that there was a lot being done in Ghana in terms

of Circular Economy, with room for much more. Ms. Diana Acconcia called for a public

framework that can connect all the initiatives on Circular Economy in Ghana. She also took turns

to acknowledge effort of the Minister and the Mayor to Circular Economy and pledge her

support to coherent policy that will enhance the operations of circular development in Ghana.

She spoke on the importance and difficulty of finance and what EU can do to help to reduce cost

of borrowing. She also touched on attitudinal change and called for a change of attitude from

everybody. Looking forward to continuing the conversation on Circular Economy, H.E the

Ambassador expressed an interest in funding good ideas touching on the EU Business seminar in

June. Finally, she thanked all the participants for their contributions.

13

Way forward

There is huge opportunity for the EU to support Ghana in her transition to the CE. Below the

facilitators and experts present observations and suggestions for future engagement:

Observations and suggestions for the design of future capacity development on CE in Ghana:

Future capacity development events and interventions should be carefully embedded in the

larger context of the CE adoption in Ghana. To this end they should be designed and coordinated

with key players. This would also positively impact the achievement and sustainability of results.

For educational events to lead to action/ behaviour change, it is critical they invite and motivate

the participants to interact with the content. The event design should therefore allow for

experiential learning. This as a rule implies that the resources for design, preparation and

facilitation need to be prioritized and provided with sufficient resources and time. These

investments bring a high return in the form of improved learning and retention.

The interventions should move beyond rather “generalistic” educational events to more process

oriented, mid- and long-term engagement with targeted audiences. It is in these spaces that

impactful exchanges and cross-fertilizations can take place.

It would be useful to assess prior to an event the level of understanding, the expectations,

background etc. of the participants so that a more meaningful experience can be curated.

Specialized events for example events specifically matching businesses and technologies

providers should be considered.

Key area of possible involvement of the EU:

I. Support organisations to turn existing interest into action. This needs to happen swiftly to

avoid losing momentum, through:

1. Educational events: participants’ understanding is shallow and they need more

opportunity to engage practically with the concepts. In particular, how CE is relevant

to Ghana- such as local closed loops (what does that look like?), regenerative

agriculture (existing examples locally, in the region and globally), decentralised

models that keep value and jobs locally (examples), what initiatives are currently

running. It is critical this education directly engages participants and shares live,

relatable examples.

2. Convene organisations within specific value chains with a subject expert facilitator and

carefully chosen list of participants. Map resource & material flows, leakage points,

idle time for capital equipment/ property/ human resource, and design business

models that retain the most value. Understand current obstacles each stakeholder

14

faces & how CE can address them. Be honest about what is really driving markets

and inherent behaviour biases.

Circular Economy is a system shift and the entire value chain needs to work together

to define what that looks like for their context. Whilst it was interesting for

participants to learn from one another, their interests were too dispersed to

catalyse collaboration.

3. Support organisations to pilot next steps: there was a lot of uncertainty around “what

can we tangibly do?” both on an individual and an organisational level. In order to

take the risk of stepping into the unknown, organisations will need support to run

small scale trials and research.

Policy:

II. Support government decision-makers in order to design appropriate policies that favour

positive practices and apportion costs to those polluting and using resources in a “linear”

way.

1. Review existing policy/ regulation/ taxation to understand what behaviour is

being rewarded and stifled by existing rules

2. Remove perverse incentives, such as subsidies on chemical fertilisers which are

favouring certain companies (often foreign), pollution and not supporting local

business models and efforts to naturally replenish the soil with locally available

nutrients

3. Create platforms for effective participation in policy formation, as was

successfully achieved in the adoption of the EU Circular Economy package.

Research, information and capacity development:

III. Building on point 1, support the development of best practice, relevant to the local

context. This will allow Ghanaian and European partners to truly understand the

opportunity for Circular Economy business models in Ghana and realise them.

1. Collect case studies and identify how they exhibit circularity and what

characteristics they have

2. Translate research into workable plans that can be turned into highly accessible

training

3. Support knowledge exchange between Europe, Ghana and within Ghana, at all

levels of academia and professional research and development institutions

4. Enable community level demonstration projects to bring closed loop practices to

life for real people.

15

Appendix 1 – Participant List

16

Appendix 2 – Summaries from Working Groups

Within each working group, sub-groups were formed and given a different perspective to explore:

1. What should the journey to a circular plastics economy look like?

2. What kind of jobs can be created, where and how?

3. What are the enabling factors needed for this transition?

4. Which systems-level interventions are needed, and which are most accessible now?

5. What can ancient knowledge passed down through generations and culture teach us about

circular economies?

Participants were asked to think about necessary actions to move Ghana towards a circular economy

through two tiers: (i) personal actions and (ii) communal actions. These actions were then voted on

guided by the following selection criteria:

1. How impactful is the action?

2. How scalable is the action?

3. How viable is the action in the short-term?

A)A)A)A) ELECTRONICS GROUP ELECTRONICS GROUP ELECTRONICS GROUP ELECTRONICS GROUP

IN TERMS OF CURRENT PRACTICES IN GHANA;

� The Group looked at the existing legal frameworkexisting legal frameworkexisting legal frameworkexisting legal framework specific to e-waste and came up

with some policies and regulations including;

• (Act 917) which is the Hazardous and Electronic Management Act

• Regulations: Energy Efficiency Standards, Energy Commission Regulation, Li 1958

among a few.

� The Group also looked at TechnologiesTechnologiesTechnologiesTechnologies

• This included manual dismantling, technologies for sorting etc.

• U-Labs (Used Lead Acid Battery)

� The Group also looked into some Business Models Business Models Business Models Business Models and came up with some models

including;

• Incentive Payment System employed with Cables and Old Fridges in Ghana

• Upcycling and Open Market Systems

� Engagement PlatformsPlatformsPlatformsPlatforms were also discussed, and the group talked about

• Ghana Recycling Round Table

• Caritas- e-waste ambassadors amongst others.

17

IN TERMS OF JOB CREATION

� The group looked at the jobs created at the value chainvalue chainvalue chainvalue chain levels some of the mentioned

included;

• Assemblying (eg. Nasco, RLG)

• Collecting and Sorting (Truck Collectors)

• Repair & Refurbishment (Local Repairer)

ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE AND PRINCIPLES OF RESOURCE USE

� Spiritual link of natural resource management in the past especially with regards to

fishing and farming for regeneration e.g it is a taboo to go fishing on Tuesdays.

� Complexity of design of electronic making them hard to recycle.

� Ineffective implementation of Act 917

� Repair to prolong lifespan of electronics very popular

IN TERMS OF PERSONAL ACTIONS

• Door to door collection of e-waste backed by incentives

• Segregation of wastes at source in a way that is easy to practice and not

cumbersome e.g. plastic and food waste bins clearly marked in a language that is

easily understood.

• Hold employees accountable on their own waste generated

• questioning lifecycle of products, knowing where it comes from and where it ends

up in.

• Backyard gardening (Composting at home)

• Insisting on following procedure

• Better design of our buildings to be energy efficient, water harvesting, bio-

digestion, natural lightning

• Intensive agriculture by using improved seedling

• Advocacy for green procurement

• Encourage young people to save to finance startup and practice the lean start up

model

IN TERMS OF COLLECTIVE ACTIONS

• Collective/ Community Collection Points/ Designative buy back centres.

• Form industrial partnerships among companies already practicing CE in order to

have bigger impact

• Technical and Vocational education on e-waste

18

• Integrating practical circular economy skills into educational curriculum e.g

through kids competitions.

• More online barter platforms to facilitate exchange of used goods/products e.g.

OLX and Jumia.

• Access to cheaper financial resources in the e-waste space. particularly invite

financial institutions to conversations and conferences on Circular Economy

• Formal-informal schemes to facilitate formalization.

• Engage government at different levels (National & local)

• Operating zero waste operations in institutions

Hold employers accountable for their own waste

Have clearly designated areas in communities for sorting waste as opposed to current

practices in some communities

B)B)B)B) PLASTIC GROUPPLASTIC GROUPPLASTIC GROUPPLASTIC GROUP

The Plastics Working Group was comprised of over 50 participants representing plastics manufacturers

and users, waste management and recycling companies, consultants, academics, advocacy groups and

non-governmental organizations, and government representatives at local and national levels.

Personal Actions:

1. Reduce plastic use – in all areas of life was agreed as the most critical action each of us must take.

Practical examples were provided such as carrying a reusable shopping bag and taking reusable cup, plate

and utensils to work and to school for children

2. Compost organic waste at home – was identified as showing great opportunity for impact, scalable and

viable – even considering that it is not directly related to plastics – as more than 60% of household waste

is wet organic and is currently overwhelming Ghana’s existing waste disposal infrastructure. Therefore,

efforts to manage organic waste at the household level would significantly increase the capacity of the

government and waste management companies to manage other waste streams more circularly.

3. Separate waste by material stream at home, school and in the office – complements recommended

personal action #2. The more efficient each one of us becomes in managing our resource use and waste

generation/disposal, the more effective the entire system becomes.

4. Become an ambassador for a circular plastics economy – starts with educating one’s self about what

circularity really means, and practical ways to apply those concepts in everyday life. Such knowledge

19

cannot be kept to one’s self, but must be shared in one’s community: their household, neighbourhood,

place of worship, place of business and commerce.

5. Use social media responsibly – in contrast to using social platforms to celebrate festive events and

exotic experiences, social media can also be used to share good ideas about how we can all contribute

towards the transition to a circular plastics economy. This action is closely tied to #4.

6. Purchase ecological products “put my money where my mouth is” – and support companies and

products that enable a circular economy, and refuse those that impede it.

Communal Actions:

1. De-risking financial mobilization for circular plastics business models – was identified as he most viable,

impactful and scalable action presented. Presently, the traditional financial market is inaccessible to

micro-medium enterprises interested in circular plastics economy business models. Solutions are needed

to connect finances to entrepreneurs and demonstrable business models with financial terms that enable

businesses to grow, creating jobs.

2. The establishment of buy-back centres for recyclable materials – is an opportunity both incentivize

behaviour change at the household level as well as enable resource recovery more efficiently at

economies of scale.

3. Engage faith-based groups to be ambassadors of behaviour change – was the most creative and locally-

appropriate recommendation made. Over 80% of Ghanaians regularly contribute to a faith-based

community. Therefore, these communities, which are largely centralized/ hierarchical, are ideal

institutions to decentralize/localize new ideologies around behaviour change.

4. Adoption of “smart policies” that creatively incentivize and discourage behaviours – in contrast to

policies focused exclusively at achieving an end objective. As defined, “smart policies” focus on the

method of achievement by working to promote desired behaviour rather than penal repercussions to

restricted behaviours.

5. Establish modalities for effective participation in policy formation and implementation – is a critical

need and complementary to action #4. Generally, the governance structure in Ghana dos not enable

wide-spread interaction with policy formation leading to hard legal documents rather than “living,

breathing,” enabling legal frameworks.

20

6. Plan communities for ready access to a safe water supply for drinking – was identified as a costly but

imperative action. The majority of plastic pollution results from consumed packaged products. In Ghana,

due to unreliable water supply, the vast majority of water consumed in packaged in single-use plastics.

This can only be resolved with the wide-spread supply of safe drinking water.

C)C)C)C) SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE GROUP SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE GROUP SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE GROUP SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE GROUP

Executive Summary The Seminar had great representation from across business, government, research, industry bodies and

NGOs. Unfortunately, government representatives did not stay for the break-out sessions, so a much-

needed perspective was lost. They further lacked representation from large businesses with agricultural

supply chains.

The overriding feeling was enthusiasm, curiosity and a strong desire for guidance, both in terms of what

CE is and how to do it in practice. Even though the scene had been well set in the morning, it took

participants engaging proactively before they began to envisage what the concepts might mean. Once

they did, basic examples and case studies tumbled forth, but understanding was superficial and the

system level nature of CE was lost on most participants, which is an obstacle for implementation.

There was a sense of frustration that information on Circular Economy is out there but isn’t getting to

people. This was shown in the idea selection: 83% votes were for improvements in information/

education. One group even passionately declared that they will set up a research institute to provide very

accessible reports and materials that would then be used to train rural communities.

Recommendations Building on the recommendations outlined in the Ways Forward section, the following are considerations

for the EU in their programming in the Agriculture sector:

I. Improve access to and generation of contextually relevant, easily applicable knowledge on

Circular Economy:

a. Promote the inclusion of Circular Economy in the school curriculum

b. Support community-level farmer demonstration plots for trials and training.

II. Create platforms Create platforms Create platforms Create platforms to enable the sharing economy at a national and community level, for:

a. Access to farm inputs

b. Collaboration opportunities between businesses to facilitate “Closing the Loop”

c. Identification of circular businesses to patronise for consumers

d. Knowledge transfer

III. Having convened specific value chains, catalyse enabling business models: such as those that can

support reverse logistics and optimise existing transport (reducing idle time, avoiding empty

21

trips). Consider deeply the role of transport into rural areas and it’s cultural implications as a

point of access to the outside world.

IV. EU initiatives in agriculture: rather than focus on yields, must include:

a. Post-harvest loss

b. Nutritional value of crops

c. Application & preservation of traditional values & knowledge such as seed banking,

regenerative practices, using local remedies

d. Soil preservation

e. Self-sufficient communities (support through policy, education, transport systems,

business models, access to equipment & knowledge, training that is appropriate for

decentralised local value and capacity etc.)

f. Support local sourcing

g. Enabling business models, infrastructure & local govt support.

V. Level the playing fieldLevel the playing fieldLevel the playing fieldLevel the playing field: it is currently more expensive to do the right thing. Support:

a. Enforcement

b. Apportioning of costs of pollution and soil degradation to those employing the practices

which cause them

c. Favourable tax treatment of those removing costs from the system (pollution, health

problems, low-income job creation, etc.) and regenerating natural resources i.e.

contributing to the wealth/ asset base of the country, which can be used to sustain it long

into the future

d. Restriction of contamination of rural communities e.g. plastic waste where there are no

facilities to manage it

e. “Standardising green models”: supporting local organisations to understand what

practices to adopt that will be regenerative, create jobs AND be profitable

VI. SSSStart, iterate, evolvetart, iterate, evolvetart, iterate, evolvetart, iterate, evolve: the answers will be uncovered through a process of discovery. The EU can

play a role to ensure the appropriate support system/ enabling environment is in place and

critical feedback mechanisms. This is not currently the case.

22

Analysis of suggestions from Agriculture Working Group

� On Day 2: participants sat on 3 tables and each table shortlisted their top 5 ideas for practical actions needed to accelerate CE in agriculture

� From the 15 ideas collected, participants were given 2 votes each

� Ideas have since been categorised and analysed, to show that most attention (83% votes) was given to education and information on CE

� This reflects participants expressed desire to better understand how the concepts can work in practice, and what business models and enabling

factors are required

� There was a limited understanding of the role government/policy can play. Responsibility to undertake ideas can be attributed first to private sector

(42%), then government (32%) & finally individual (23%) action.

Suggestion VotesInfo/

education

New

practices

Business

modelsFunding

Policy/

StandardsGovt

Private

sectorIndividual

1 Include Circular Economy in the school curriculum 12 ���� ���� ����

2Circular Economy research & innovation hub based on existing

information/ best practices10 ���� ����

3Create a platform for resource re-use & to create opportunities for the

private sector9 ���� ����

4 Mindset change through experiential learning and accessible materials 9 ���� ����

5 Finance to improve road networks 8 ���� ����

6Share farm inputs & best practice through formation of local

cooperatives/ smallholder farmer groups7 ���� ���� ����

7Create a Jumia-style online platform for circular businesses that

provides marketing, information, advocacy, buyer reviews6 ���� ���� ����

8 Create a Circular Economy advisory board to set standards 6 ���� ���� ����

9 Establish partnerships to transfer technical expertise & equipment 5 ���� ����

10Conscious consumption by information on value chains of products we

consume4 ���� ���� ����

11 Grow your own food at home 3 ���� ����

12Peer-to-peer review as a less formal & costly way to champion circular

businesses3 ���� ���� ����

13 Put Circular habits into practice 2 ����

14 Advocacy hub/ think tank on Circular Economy 2 ���� ���� ���� ����

15Adopt sustainable methods & inputs in agriculture to shift gradually to

Circular Economy2 ���� ����

88

TOTAL SUGGESTIONS RELATED TO EACH THEME 11 4 2 1 3 4 7 5

TOTAL VOTES RELATED TO EACH THEME 73 16 13 8 21 28 37 20

% VOTES 83% 18% 15% 9% 24% 32% 42% 23%

WHAT? WHO?