About this module
Level 1 made you a safe, skilled sorter. Level 2 makes you the person who buys, processes and sells, with records, permits and contracts.
Who it is for. People who have finished Waste Recycling (Level 1), or who already collect and sell recyclables and can show the same skills. National Proficiency II covers varied work done under limited supervision.
CTVET status. CTVET's Recycling Technology programme is offered at Takoradi, Kumasi and Dabokpa Technical Institutes with work experience at Jospong, under a 10-year partnership signed in March 2025. Its level was not published. This module is not a CTVET curriculum.
The law has changed. The Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) turned the EPA into an Environmental Protection Authority and, according to a legal summary, repealed the 2016 hazardous and e-waste law (Act 917). Fines are now much higher. Level 1 cited Act 917; check with the EPA Takoradi office which rules now apply.
Bridge from Level 1: what you already know
- PPE, the never-touch list, never burn; hepatitis B and tetanus vaccines
- What Takoradi's waste is made of
- Resin codes 1–7; buyers want clean, dry, separated plastic
- Making compost with the right mix, moisture and heat
- Plastic-sand blocks at about 30:70; never heat PVC; never melt over an open fire
- Exporting scrap iron and steel is a crime
- Basic permits, records and a one-page plan
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme split of about 30% school and 70% workplace.
Unit 1 · Run a collection and buy-back centre
A buy-back centre lives on two things: an honest scale and steady buyers.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Set up a centre | chooses a site and sets up scale, storage and records |
| 1.2 Buy fairly | buys by weight with a posted price list, calibrated scale and receipts |
| 1.3 Keep records | records stock and margin for each material and supplier |
Range. A training or real buy-back point. Evidence. Price board; buying records; stock sheet.
What a buy-back centre is
A buy-back centre is where people bring recyclables and exchange them for money. In Takoradi, a centre at Effiakuma is run with GRIPE: plastics are weighed and exchanged for cash or goods. It collected over 6.6 tonnes, and at one event in 2021 about 2,248 kg was exchanged for cash. OICI set up collection centres with trained volunteers, scales and record books across all seven Western Region assemblies.
Takoradi's waste
Sekondi-Takoradi produces about 159 tonnes of waste a day. Tricycle collectors compete with formal operators, and about 150 pickers work at the landfill. The EU recommends Business Operating Permits for collectors, aggregators and recyclers, linked to training and a share in council contracts. This is your route into formal work.
Price ladder
In Accra in 2021, agents paid pickers about GH¢0.50 per kg, sold to recyclers at about GH¢1 per kg, and pellets sold at about GH¢5 per kg. Agents on tricycles washed and compressed 500–800 kg a day to raise value. By 2025 HDPE earned pickers about GH¢5 per kg.
Prices change fast. Few current prices were found. Collect your own prices every week from buyers in Takoradi.
Aggregators complain of no price regulation and late pick-ups. An honest, calibrated scale and a posted price list build trust.
Open the centre
- Set up a price board for five materials.
- Check the scale with a known weight.
- Buy, weigh and give a receipt for every load for one week.
- Work out your margin per material.
Price survey
Find out what two buyers in Takoradi pay for HDPE, PET, sachet film and aluminium cans.
Unit 2 · Grade, clean and bale to buyer specification
Clean, graded, baled material earns more. Dirty, mixed loads are rejected.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Grade plastics | grades by resin, colour and contamination; rejects PVC and dirty loads |
| 2.2 Clean and bale | washes, dries and bales safely |
| 2.3 Agree specs | agrees written specs, prices and pick-up days with a buyer |
Range. One week of material. Evidence. Grade sheets; bales; buyer agreement.
Contamination
Contamination means food or the wrong plastic mixed in. Accra recyclers rated it as manageable because pickers sort first. The weak link in the industry is the "missing middle": sorting, grading, storage, transport, paperwork, pricing and trust.
Buyers
- ACARP in Accra sells baled PET, baled cardboard and plastic pellets, processing about 600 tonnes a day.
- Mohinani Group is building a food-grade PET recycling plant in Ghana, with 90% of its plastic to come from small local collectors.
- GRIPE members include major drinks and food companies; centre plastics are crushed into flakes and bought by members.
- Guinness and Coliba planned bottle buy-back centres.
Baling and lifting. Bale presses can crush. Keep hands clear, and use two-person lifts and trolleys. Use puncture-resistant gloves; never press bags down by hand, because of hidden needles.
Grade and bale
- Grade one week's plastic by resin and colour.
- Wash and dry one grade.
- Bale or compact it safely.
- Write a buyer specification with a buyer.
Spec sheet
Ask a buyer what they reject. Write it down.
Unit 3 · Shred and make products from plastic
Shredded flake and finished products earn far more than loose bottles, but the machines must be respected.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Shred safely | runs a shredder with guards, lockout and PPE |
| 3.2 Melt safely | extrudes or injects HDPE or PP at controlled temperature with fume protection |
| 3.3 Make and test blocks | makes plastic-sand blocks or pavers and records quality |
Range. Supervised machine work. Evidence. Machine log; samples; test record.
Machines
- Precious Plastic's Shredder Pro costs about €2,200 plus motor and shreds up to 50 kg an hour; a full shredder workspace costs €5,000–16,000 and needs 30 m² and two staff.
- Older do-it-yourself designs were much cheaper, and the injection and compression machines are hand-operated with no motor.
- HDPE melts at about 120–180 °C and PP at about 160–170 °C. Overheating releases fumes; use a mask with the right filter.
Plastic-sand products
- Sachet-plastic and sand composites reached up to about 27 MPa in strength in tests, stronger with finer sand.
- Plastic-sand wall blocks reached about 15 MPa, and walls built with them were stronger than sandcrete.
- Nelplast crushes, washes and mixes plastic 30:70 with sand. Its blocks sold for GH¢4 against GH¢5 for cement blocks, and getting the formula right took over three years.
Machine and melt rules.
- Guards on, hands never in the hopper. Lock out the power before clearing a jam.
- Ear defenders, safety glasses, no loose sleeves.
- Melt only HDPE and PP. Never PVC. Never an open fire.
- Lowest working temperature, a thermostat, a filter mask, good air, heat gloves and a fire extinguisher.
Make and test
- Shred one grade under supervision; record kg per hour.
- Make six plastic-sand pavers.
- Test them by dropping and loading; record cracks.
Market check
Find the price of cement pavers and blocks in Takoradi.
Unit 4 · Trade metal, paper and glass
Plastic is not the only money in the bin.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Sort metals | separates steel, aluminium, copper and brass with a magnet test |
| 4.2 Handle paper and glass | bales cardboard, sorts paper grades and handles glass safely |
| 4.3 Follow the rules | follows dealer permit and export rules |
Range. Mixed scrap. Evidence. Sorted samples; permit checklist.
Metal
Scrap metal is one of the two main materials recovered at the Takoradi landfill. A magnet sticks to steel but not to aluminium, copper or brass. Exporting iron and steel scrap is banned.
Paper and glass
ACARP bales cardboard, and Akosombo Paper Mill uses recycled paper. Glass bottles can be collected for reuse or crushed for bead makers. Wear thick gloves and eye protection with glass.
Fees in Sekondi-Takoradi (2025)
| Category | Yearly fee |
|---|---|
| Used-plastic collector | GH¢350 |
| Used-plastic mobiliser | GH¢700 |
| Scrap metal dealer (medium depot) | GH¢600 |
| Recycling plant | GH¢2,000 |
| E-waste treatment plant | GH¢1,250 |
Sort scrap
- Sort a box of mixed metal with a magnet.
- Bale cardboard and sort paper.
- List the permits you would need for a metal and paper depot.
Scrap prices
Find what a Takoradi scrap dealer pays for aluminium and copper.
Unit 5 · Organics to income: black soldier fly
Food waste fed to black soldier fly larvae becomes protein for chickens and fish, plus fertiliser.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Prepare feed | removes hazardous items; keeps moisture right |
| 5.2 Rear and harvest | rears and harvests larvae; composts the residue |
| 5.3 Sell products | sells larvae, meal and frass |
Range. One rearing cycle. Evidence. Rearing log; harvest weights.
The basics
- Larvae are about 35% protein and 30% fat. They can reduce waste by up to 80% and turn up to 25% of it into larvae, growing in 14–16 days. Feed must be 60–90% moisture.
- Check feed for hazardous or non-food items, then shred, drain or blend. Larvae reduce germs mainly by reducing the waste, not by killing germs, so take care with manure and slaughter waste.
- In Ghana, IITA's project converts fruit, vegetable, kitchen and slaughter waste, and the residue (frass) is certified as fertiliser by MoFA.
- A Danish firm and a Ghanaian waste company are building a plant for 8,000 tonnes of organic waste a year.
- One Ghana farm sold BSF meal at about GH¢6 per kg.
Feed safety. Heat or dry larvae from manure or slaughter waste before feeding them to animals. Wear gloves and wash hands.
See also the Hub's Composting and Circular Agriculture manual.
One cycle
- Prepare food waste feed at the right moisture.
- Rear one batch of larvae; record feed and days.
- Harvest, weigh and dry the larvae; compost the frass.
Buyers
Ask two poultry or fish farmers if they would buy larvae, and at what price.
Unit 6 · E-waste within the law
Collect and store e-waste safely, and hand it only to permitted facilities. Never burn, never break open.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Work as a collector | registers and works as a collector without dismantling or burning |
| 6.2 Store safely | stores and labels e-waste separately; protects fridges, screens and lamps |
| 6.3 Hand over legally | hands over only to permitted centres and keeps waybills |
Range. A collection point. Evidence. Storage plan; waybills.
The rules
- Under the 2018 EPA guidelines, a first-level collector registers with the Assembly, must not dismantle, burn or export, and delivers only to centres with EPA permits.
- Collection centres mark containers "E-WASTE", never mix it with other waste, and store it out of the weather. Dismantling is allowed only at registered treatment facilities.
- Never break the cooling pipes of fridges or air conditioners. Keep old TV screens and lamps whole: they contain harmful substances.
- The EPA has warned that people burning cables can be arrested; wire-stripping machines were provided at Agbogbloshie.
- A project put e-waste into the TVET curriculum and produced guidelines for car batteries.
Collection point
- Set up a labelled e-waste store.
- Sort a mixed load into types without opening anything.
- Fill in a waybill for handover.
Permitted centres
Find the nearest e-waste centre with an EPA permit.
Unit 7 · Grow the enterprise
Permits, contracts and a good name turn a collection point into a business.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Get permits | lists Assembly, EPA and business registration steps |
| 7.2 Understand new money | explains producer responsibility, collection schemes and plastic credits |
| 7.3 Market and include | markets the business and makes it accessible |
Range. Own enterprise plan. Evidence. Permit checklist; business plan.
Policy changes
- Extended producer responsibility (EPR) was voluntary in 2023; a law was planned to make producers set up collection centres. Over 1 million tonnes of plastic waste are made each year, and about 10% is recycled. By 2026 EPR was moving closer to practice, and the EU is restricting plastic waste exports to poorer countries from November 2026.
- A nationwide ban on Styrofoam starts on 1 January 2027.
- A Plastic Recycling Fund from a 10% tax on imported plastics had no clear rules for how it was spent.
- Plastic credits: one credit equals one tonne collected or recycled above the usual level, with independent audits and protections for waste pickers.
Location settings that give good returns
- Near the landfill or transfer points where pickers work
- Dense communities with tricycle access, like Effiakuma
- Near markets, bars and sachet water producers
- On a road a truck can reach for pick-ups
- Close to buyers and recyclers
Business ideas and ingenuity
- Aggregator with a calibrated scale and weekly buyer pick-ups
- Sachet washing and compacting for higher prices
- Shredded flake sorted by colour
- Plastic-sand pavers for compounds and schools
- Black soldier fly larvae for poultry and fish farmers
- Collection contracts with schools, offices and hotels
- Supplying PET to large recyclers
Market yourself
- A price board and your operating permit on display.
- WhatsApp price broadcasts to collectors.
- Buyer references and on-time payment.
Accessibility
Inclusive design guidance asks for doors about 91 cm wide, tiny thresholds and turning space for wheelchairs. The Ghana Enterprises Agency has a programme for businesses owned by persons with disabilities, and the Sekondi-Takoradi Assembly supports persons with disabilities with equipment. Ghana's Persons with Disability Act applies. Use level sorting tables at reachable height, visual alarms for deaf workers, and clear routes for blind workers. Hand-lever injection machines may suit seated work; check with your trainer.
Business plan
- Write a permit checklist with costs.
- Write a one-page business plan with buyers and margins.
- Make a price board and a WhatsApp broadcast message.
Assembly visit
Ask the Assembly what a Business Operating Permit for a recycler needs.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | A business that buys from many collectors and sells in bulk |
| Bale | A tightly pressed block of material |
| BSF | Black soldier fly |
| EPR | Extended producer responsibility: makers pay for collecting their waste |
| Frass | Larvae droppings and leftover feed, used as fertiliser |
| Lockout | Switching off and locking power before touching a machine |
| Waybill | A record of goods handed over |
Logbook
- Unit 1: price board; buying records; margins
- Unit 2: grade sheets; buyer spec
- Unit 3: machine log; paver tests
- Unit 4: sorted samples; permit list
- Unit 5: rearing log; harvest weights
- Unit 6: storage plan; waybills
- Unit 7: permit checklist; business plan
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- What two things does a buy-back centre depend on?
- What is contamination?
- Which plastics may you melt? Which never?
- What must you do before clearing a shredder jam?
- How do you tell steel from aluminium?
- How long does a BSF larvae cycle take?
- May a collector open old TVs or fridges?
- What is EPR?
- What is a plastic credit?
- Name three good locations for a buy-back centre.
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: your Level 1 manual; the Eawag black soldier fly manual; the EPA e-waste guidelines; the Hub's Money Skills manual.
What this module does not cover: dismantling e-waste (registered facilities only), medical waste, car batteries, and large recycling plant engineering.
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.