From shoreline waste to useful products: How solar-powered recycling is helping communities rethink plastic waste in Ghana

An environmental non-governmental organisation, Plastic Punch, has partnered with Marco Bernardo, founder of Sun Factory, to demonstrate how solar energy can be used to convert plastic waste into useful products and create economic opportunities.

The initiative was part of a two-week Sun Factory Residency, held from October 26 to November 7, which combined practical demonstrations, environmental education and community engagement.

The programme began at the Plastic Punch office, where the team assembled a solar concentrator, a key component of the recycling system. The technology was subsequently used to demonstrate how discarded plastics could be repurposed using solar energy.

At Street Academy, students participated in a live demonstration and discussions on plastic pollution, recycling, and sustainable waste management. The team later moved to Ada Foah, where it joined PROTEGO monitoring activities along the shoreline before engaging pupils of Tojeh Basic School in similar educational activities.

Reflecting on his time in Ghana, Bernardo said the school engagements were particularly encouraging, citing the participation and enthusiasm of the communities.

He also highlighted the economic potential of solar-powered recycling, explaining that the technology could reduce production costs by eliminating the need to purchase raw materials and pay for conventional energy.

“In this case, you don't pay for the material, you don't pay for energy, and you can sell it. So, for me, it's important that people see that recycling is more about creating jobs,” he said.

Project Coordinator at Plastic Punch, Spencer Awortwi, said the residency had equipped the organisation with a practical tool for demonstrating the value of responsible plastic waste management.

He noted that although the organisation did not consider recycling a complete solution to plastic pollution, using solar energy to transform plastic waste into attractive products could help change public attitudes towards waste disposal.

As part of the residency, Bernardo and Plastic Punch Executive Director, Richmond Quarcoo, also visited the organisation's developing Agumatsa Eco-Lodge near Wli Falls.

There, the team demonstrated how recovered plastics could be transformed into products such as key holders. Plastic Punch members also received hands-on training in operating the technology to ensure the knowledge gained would remain within the organisation.

The team further explored the use of locally available materials, including bamboo, to develop sustainable structures, with an early dome prototype.

Speaking on the successful two-week residency, Quarcoo commended Marco Bernardo for his commitment to knowledge sharing and capacity building among Plastic Punch team members.

“What I want to say about the Sun Factory is that, as an NGO, we are very excited to have Marco come to Ghana for a residency. It is important for the communities we serve, especially because most of them do not have access to electricity,” Quarcoo said.

“...However, some of these communities are producing waste. And even those that do not use or create waste are facing problems with transboundary pollutants,” he added.

He further emphasised that the Sun Factory Project is meant to show communities that they can create their own solutions to the challenges around them.

“We want to be able to demonstrate this to them so that they can be inspired to create more to solve the challenges around them that we have,” Quarcoo noted.

Meanwhile, the Agumatsa Eco-Lodge is being developed as an off-grid community facility between the Agumatsa River and Njeraki Stream. It is envisioned as a centre for practical skills training, technology, environmental education, and community-led innovation.