Ghana, Austria forge recycling, packaging waste partnership with US$33M SME investment fund

GHANA – Ghana and Austria have strengthened their waste management cooperation through the Jospong-Komptech Waste Academy, a €500,000 (US$550,000) partnership that has trained more than 300 waste managers across seven regions, with Austrian Ambassador Juergen Heissel championing waste as an economic opportunity rather than a burden.

The partnership, which brings together the Jospong Group, Austrian Development Agency, Komptech GmbH, and the Technical University of Vienna, aims to build local capacity in integrated solid waste management, circular economy practices, and recycling technologies for packaging and other materials. 

Ambassador Heissel stated that waste management is not only an environmental issue but also an economic issue that, if handled correctly, creates jobs and value for sustainable development. 

Jospong-Komptech Waste Academy Trains Waste Managers and Students Across Ghana

The SA-GHA-KOMPTECH Waste Academy programme has trained over 300 waste managers in seven regions, with plans to extend capacity-building to all 16 regions. 

More than 60 technical and vocational students from Dabokpa Technical Institute, Takoradi Technical Institute, and Kumasi Technical University have gained hands-on recycling experience. 

James Deku, Communications Officer at Zoomlion, noted that the three-year programme, funded by Jospong and the Austrian Development Agency, is also exploring ways to scale the initiative to more technical institutions nationwide. 

The training covers practical skills in waste sorting, packaging material recovery, and the operation of recycling equipment, equipping participants with the technical expertise needed to manage Ghana’s growing waste streams.

Austria’s Africa Strategy and Economic Cooperation

The partnership forms part of Austria’s newly introduced Africa Strategy, which aims to establish equal and mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries across economic cooperation and green technologies. 

Austria has identified waste management, renewable energy, and infrastructure development as key sectors where its expertise can support Ghana’s development objectives. 

The Austrian government has also introduced a €30 million (US$33 million) Austria-Africa SME Investment Fund to support private sector collaboration in recycling and sustainable packaging. 

The partnership demonstrates how waste management, when integrated into a circular economy framework, can unlock significant economic benefits through recycling, waste-to-energy initiatives, and the development of local expertise. 

Ghana’s packaging waste challenge is particularly acute, with plastic packaging accounting for a significant portion of urban waste, making the partnership’s focus on recycling technologies and capacity building critical for the country’s environmental and economic future.

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