About this module
This module trains you to turn waste into money safely: by sorting it, composting it, and selling what recyclers buy. You learn by doing: most of the time is spent sorting, composting and weighing, and every unit ends with a practical task and homework.
Who it is for. Beginners with no formal certificate. The level is National Proficiency I, where a trainee does routine tasks under close supervision.
CTVET has a Recycling Technology programme. A competency-based Recycling Technology programme runs under the GIZ/EU Pact for Skills project, with Takoradi Technical Institute among the accredited providers and work placements at Zoomlion compost and recycling plants. Its level and units were not published online, so this module is not that curriculum. Ask CTVET or Takoradi Technical Institute for the standard and match this module to it.
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 by being watched at work, answering questions, and showing your logbook. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme, which uses about 30% in school and 70% at the workplace.
Unit 1 · Work safely with waste
Most waste is harmless, but some can cut, infect, poison or burn you. Know what never to touch.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Dress for the job | wears gloves, boots and a mask; covers cuts |
| 1.2 Know what never to touch | recognises medical waste, needles, e-waste and batteries, and leaves them for registered handlers |
| 1.3 Work safely | lifts safely; never burns waste; washes hands before eating |
| 1.4 Give first aid | shows first aid for cuts and needle pricks |
Range. Household, market and farm waste. Evidence. Observation every session; oral questions.
Never touch
- Medical waste and needles. About 15% of health-care waste is hazardous. One needle-prick from an infected patient carries a 30% risk of hepatitis B. Waste handlers are at immediate risk of needle injuries. Never pick up, sort or open medical waste. Leave it and tell your trainer.
- E-waste and batteries. At Agbogbloshie in Accra, 77.7% of 327 people tested had abnormal lead in their blood. Informal car-battery recycling is a major source of lead poisoning, and children suffer most. Ghana's EPA guidelines say e-waste collectors must not take e-waste apart or burn it. In this course, we don't handle e-waste or batteries. We pass them to registered collectors.
Never burn waste
Open burning of waste gives off smoke that causes coughs, lung disease and skin problems. Burning medical waste or plastics releases dioxins.
Vaccines
WHO recommends that people who handle health-care waste are vaccinated against hepatitis B and tetanus, and that the same is offered to municipal waste workers, because medical waste often ends up in household waste.
Lifting
Lifting bins heavier than about 12 kg puts too much load on the back. Share heavy loads, keep them close, and lift with your legs.
Touch or don't touch?
Your trainer shows pictures of 10 waste items. For each, say: safe to sort, or leave for a registered handler.
Safety set-up
- Put on gloves, boots and a mask; check each other.
- Set up a hand-wash station.
- Mark a "do not touch" box away from the sorting area for anything dangerous you find.
- Practise lifting a full sack with a partner.
- Record the session in your logbook.
Check your vaccines
Ask at a health centre or check your health card: are you vaccinated against tetanus and hepatitis B? Write the answer in your logbook (private to you and your trainer).
Unit 2 · Know your waste
You can't sell what you don't know. Most of Ghana's household waste is food and garden waste that can become compost.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Name the types | names the main waste types |
| 2.2 Measure | weighs a waste sample by type and works out the % of each |
| 2.3 Explain the opportunity | says which types can be composted, sold or must be disposed of |
Range. Household, market and farm waste. Evidence. Waste survey in the logbook.
Ghana's waste
Ghanaian households make about 0.47 kg of waste per person per day. Nationally it is about 61% organic, 14% plastic, 5% paper, 3% metal, 3% glass, and the rest sand, textiles and other things. In Takoradi it is 60% organic and 11.5% plastic.
In Sekondi-Takoradi, about 165 tonnes of waste a day is produced, 61% is collected, and only about 2% is recovered. About 150 waste pickers work at the Sofokrom landfill.
Sorting at home works. When Ghanaian households were given two labelled bins, they sorted correctly about 80% of the time.
What's in our waste?
Using the national figures: in 100 kg of household waste, how many kg are organic? Plastic? Paper? Metal and glass together?
Waste survey
- Collect one day's waste from the training centre (or a market stall), with PPE.
- On a tarpaulin, sort it into: food and garden, plastic, paper, glass, metal, other.
- Weigh each pile and work out the % of each.
- Compare with the national figures and record.
Two bins at home
For one week, use two bins or bags at home: food waste and everything else. Write how it went and what your family thought.
Unit 3 · Sort and sell plastics
Not all plastic sells. Learn which types buyers want and how they want them.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Identify plastics | reads the resin code and sorts plastics by type |
| 3.2 Prepare for sale | cleans, dries and bags plastics as buyers want |
| 3.3 Sell | weighs, records and sells to an aggregator |
Range. PET, HDPE, LDPE sachets, PP; aggregators and buyback centres. Evidence. Sorted, weighed batches; sales record.
The resin codes
The number in the triangle shows the type of plastic: 1 PET, 2 HDPE, 3 PVC, 4 LDPE, 5 PP, 6 PS, 7 other. It does not mean the item is recyclable where you live.
What sells in Ghana
| Plastic | Share recovered in Ghana |
|---|---|
| HDPE (2): jerrycans, containers | 79% |
| Sachet film (4): water sachets | 73% |
| PET (1): water and soft-drink bottles | 10% |
| Shopping bags | about 0% |
Recovery figures. HDPE and sachets sell best; shopping bags hardly sell. In Accra, recyclers process mostly HDPE and LDPE, then PET and PP.
Buyers want plastic clean, dry and separated by type; many recyclers turn down loads mixed with food waste.
Prices
Prices change and are rarely published. Recent figures: about GH¢5 a kg for HDPE paid to pickers, and about GH¢0.50 a kg at a buyback centre around 2020, calculated from its figures. Always ask local aggregators for today's prices.
Ghana's collectors
About 75% of Accra's plastic pickers are women. In 2022, community volunteers in all seven Western Region assemblies got starter money and weighing scales to set up plastic collection centres.
Read the codes
Your trainer gives you 10 plastic items. Write the code and name for each, and say whether it sells well, a little, or not at all in Ghana.
Sort, clean and weigh
- Sort a load of plastics by resin code.
- Rinse and dry the PET and HDPE; shake out sachets.
- Bag each type separately and label the bag.
- Weigh each bag and record.
- If possible, take them to an aggregator, ask the price, and record the sale.
Find a buyer
Find one plastic buyer or aggregator near you. Ask which plastics they buy, at what price per kg, and how they want them prepared.
Unit 4 · Make compost
Food and garden waste is more than half of all waste. Composted well, it becomes a fertiliser farmers will buy.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Build a heap | layers browns and greens in the right mix and size |
| 4.2 Manage the heap | checks moisture with the squeeze test and temperature; turns on schedule |
| 4.3 Judge and fix | recognises finished compost; fixes smell, heat and pest problems |
Range. Heap and pit methods; worm compost (optional). Evidence. Compost record; finished compost.
Browns and greens
Microbes need carbon (browns: dry leaves, straw, sawdust) and nitrogen (greens: grass, food scraps, manure) in a ratio of about 25–30 to 1.
The Indore heap
About 2 m wide, 1.5 m high and 2 m long. Layer 20 cm of browns with 10 cm of greens, and keep it damp but not soggy. Turn it at 6 weeks and 12 weeks; it is ready in about 4 months. A pit version (about 1 m deep) is turned at 15 days, 30 days and 2 months, and is ready in 2–3 months.
Moisture and heat
- Moisture 40–65%: start at 50–60%. Squeeze a handful: it should feel like a wrung-out sponge, with no water dripping.
- A good heap heats to 50–70 °C. Above 55 °C, germs die; above 62 °C, weed seeds die.
- Compost is finished when it is dark brown to black, smells like soil, and no longer heats up after turning.
Problems
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Wet, rotten-egg smell | Too wet, no air, too many greens | Turn; add dry browns |
| Doesn't heat | Too small or too dry | Make it bigger; add water while turning |
| Damp but cool | Not enough greens | Add greens |
| Rats and flies | Meat in the heap | Leave meat out; cover food scraps |
Worm compost (optional)
The African nightcrawler worm (Eudrilus eugeniae) suits warm climates. Part-compost the waste for 15–20 days first, keep the bed moist, dark and shaded: these worms die above 35 °C. In Accra, this worm broke down 99% of pineapple fibre in 20 days.
In Ghana
At Tema, faecal sludge is co-composted with food waste or sawdust for about 3 months to make Fortifer, which raised yields of maize, rice, okra, tomato, pepper, cabbage and lettuce in trials.
Fix the heap
For each, say the cause and the fix: (1) the heap smells of rotten eggs after rain; (2) the heap is dry and cold; (3) rats have dug into it.
Build and run a heap
- Collect browns and greens; weigh each.
- Build an Indore heap in layers, watering as you go.
- Twice a week, check temperature with a long thermometer and moisture with the squeeze test; record both.
- Turn the heap on schedule, recording the date.
- When finished, sieve a bucket of compost and bag it.
Compost at home
Start a small compost heap or bucket at home with kitchen scraps and dry leaves. Record what you put in each week.
Unit 5 · Add value to plastic
Some Ghanaians melt plastic with sand to make paving blocks. It works, but it is dangerous if done wrong. At this level you learn how it works and the dangers; you don't melt plastic yourself.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Explain the process | explains how plastic-sand blocks are made |
| 5.2 Know the dangers | explains why PVC must never be heated and why open fires are unsafe |
| 5.3 Upcycle safely | makes one useful item from waste plastic without heat |
Range. Plastic-sand blocks (visit or demonstration); cold upcycling crafts. Evidence. Visit notes; one upcycled item; oral questions.
How plastic blocks are made
Nelplast in Accra crushes, washes and part-dries plastic, mixes it 30% plastic to 70% sand, extrudes and presses it, then cools it; a block sold for about GH¢4 compared with GH¢5 for a cement block. It uses all kinds of plastic except PVC.
Researchers in Ghana made blocks from waste water sachets and sand with strengths of up to about 27 MPa, and wall blocks stronger than ordinary sandcrete.
The dangers
- Never heat PVC (code 3). Heated PVC gives off hydrogen chloride and chlorine gas.
- Never melt plastic over an open fire. A wood fire is far hotter than plastic needs, so the plastic breaks down and gives off poisons.
- Open burning of waste causes coughs and lung disease.
Plastic recycling businesses also need permits: in 2019 the Ghana Standards Authority shut two Accra recyclers that had no EPA permit or GSA authorisation.
Visit and upcycle
- Visit a plastic-block maker or recycler (or watch a demonstration video with your trainer). Record what plastics they use, how they keep PVC out, and what safety gear workers wear.
- Make one useful item from waste plastic without heat: a plant pot from a bottle, a broom from PET strips, a bag woven from sachets.
- Show it to the class with a price you would sell it for.
Spot the PVC
At home or in a shop, find three items made of PVC (code 3). Write what they are, so you know what to keep out of a melting pile.
Unit 6 · Glass, paper and metal
Plastics and compost are the big earners, but glass, paper and metal can sell too, if you know who buys.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Sort | separates glass, paper and metal safely |
| 6.2 Know the buyers | names who buys each material in Ghana |
| 6.3 Follow the rules | knows that scrap metal must not be exported |
Range. Bottles, cardboard, cans and scrap. Evidence. Sorted materials; logbook notes.
Glass
Glass is not often recycled in Ghana; artisans crush it into beads or re-blow it, and collectors gather bottles from bars. Guinness Ghana's clear bottle contains 30% recycled glass. Krobo bead makers use old bottles (see the Beading Technology module). Handle broken glass with gloves and a brush, never bare hands.
Paper
Akosombo Paper Mill makes tissue from recycled paper. Cardboard is baled for sale by recyclers such as ACARP in Accra.
Metal
Scrap metal is one of the two main things waste pickers recover at the Sekondi-Takoradi landfill. Exporting iron and steel scrap from Ghana is a criminal offence, to keep scrap for local steel mills.
Sort and find buyers
- From your Unit 2 waste, sort glass, paper and metal; weigh each.
- Flatten cans and cardboard; stack bottles in a crate.
- Phone or visit one buyer for each material and ask the price. Record it.
Bottle count
Ask a local bar or drinks seller how many empty bottles they have each week and what they do with them.
Unit 7 · Run a small recycling business
A recycling business needs the right permits, good records, and buyers who pay on time.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Know the rules | names the permits and laws for a small recycling business |
| 7.2 Keep records | records weights bought, sold and prices |
| 7.3 Plan sales | plans how to sell compost and recyclables profitably |
Range. Collection points, compost sales, aggregation. Evidence. Records; a simple business plan.
The rules
- Business name: register with the Registrar of Companies; you need a Ghana Card and TIN.
- District Assembly: assemblies make waste by-laws and license sanitation service providers. A Business Operating Permit is needed.
- EPA: businesses with environmental impact need an EPA permit before starting. The Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) replaced the old EPA law. Ask the EPA regional office in Takoradi whether your size of business needs a permit.
- E-waste: Act 917 (2016) made sellers take back used electronics and set duties for collectors and recyclers. A legal summary says the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124) repealed it and now covers e-waste; check current rules with the Environmental Protection Authority.
- Plastics policy: Ghana's 2020 policy plans a producer responsibility scheme and support for collection centres. As of 2023 producer responsibility was still voluntary, with a law being drafted.
Selling compost
Without help, few farmers would pay for compost. In northern Ghana, farmers would pay more for compost that is branded and labelled, in pellets, or delivered, and they buy at harvest time when they have cash. Sell bagged, labelled compost to vegetable farmers at harvest time.
Income
Full-time plastic pickers in Accra earned about GH¢25–30 a day in 2021. Aggregators say there is no price regulation, and pickers complain of late pick-ups. Agree prices and pick-up days in advance.
Profit from plastic
In a month you collect 400 kg of HDPE and 300 kg of sachets. A buyer pays GH¢3 a kg for HDPE and GH¢1.50 for sachets. Your costs are GH¢300 for transport and GH¢100 for bags. (1) Sales? (2) Profit? (3) What if half the sachets are rejected for being dirty?
Business plan
- Choose one business: compost sales, plastic collection, or both.
- Write a one-page plan: what you collect, from where, who buys, price per kg or bag, costs, monthly profit.
- List the permits you need and where to get them.
- Present it to the class.
Ask an official
Visit or call your District Assembly. Ask what permit a small waste-collection or composting business needs and how much it costs.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aggregator | A buyer who collects recyclables from many people and sells in bulk |
| Browns / greens | Carbon-rich and nitrogen-rich compost materials |
| Competent / Not Yet Competent | The two possible results of a CBT assessment |
| Compost | Rotted organic waste, used as fertiliser |
| E-waste | Old electrical and electronic items |
| HDPE, LDPE, PET, PP, PVC | Types of plastic, shown by the resin code |
| Producer responsibility | Making companies pay for collecting the waste from their products |
| Resin code | The number 1–7 in a triangle on plastic items |
Logbook
Copy these pages into an exercise book. Your logbook is part of your assessment evidence.
- Unit 1: safety set-up; vaccine check (private)
- Unit 2: waste survey with weights and %
- Unit 3: plastics sorted, weighed and sold
- Unit 4: compost record (layers, temperature, moisture, turning)
- Unit 5: visit notes; upcycled item
- Unit 6: glass, paper and metal weights and buyer prices
- Unit 7: business plan; permit list
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- Name four kinds of waste you must never handle.
- Why must you never burn waste?
- Which vaccines does WHO recommend for waste handlers?
- What share of Ghana's household waste is organic?
- Which plastics sell best in Ghana?
- What does the resin code tell you?
- What is the browns-to-greens layering in an Indore heap?
- How do you check compost moisture?
- How do you know compost is finished?
- Why must PVC never be heated?
- What is illegal to do with scrap metal in Ghana?
- How should compost be sold to farmers?
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: FAO's On-farm composting methods; Ghana's National Plastics Management Policy; the CTVET Recycling Technology programme (ask Takoradi Technical Institute).
What this module does not cover: melting plastic yourself, e-waste and battery work, medical waste, large recycling machinery, and current Takoradi prices (ask aggregators).
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.