Ghana, UNIDO move forward with circular textile innovation centre to tackle waste and boost industry

GHANA – Ghana and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are advancing plans to establish a Circular Economy Innovation and Textile Testing Centre, positioning the proposed facility as both a response to the country’s growing textile waste challenge and a catalyst for industrial development.

According to the government, the centre forms a core pillar of an Italy-funded UNIDO project implemented in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry.

The initiative, Promoting business and technology development in Ghana’s circular textile sector, is being delivered by UNIDO’s Italian Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO Italy) with funding from the Italian Agency for the Development Cooperation (AICS).

Progress on the project was recently discussed during a UNIDO courtesy call on Ghana’s Embassy in Rome.

UNIDO officials said the planned centre would provide laboratory testing, quality assurance and technical services to support textile sorting and classification, detect toxic or hazardous components, and enable second-life industrial applications.

These applications could range from furniture and insulation panels to automotive components, paper products and agricultural inputs, helping shift Ghana’s textile ecosystem from disposal-driven waste management to value-added circular production.

The project addresses mounting environmental pressures linked to Ghana’s status as one of the world’s largest destinations for secondhand clothing.

An estimated 15 million garments enter the country every week, most through Accra’s Kantamanto Market.

Around 40% of these items ultimately become waste, contributing to blocked drainage systems, polluted lagoons and marine litter along the coast.

A mapping and validation exercise is currently underway to identify a suitable host institution for the centre, with Accra and Kumasi under consideration.

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has emerged as a leading candidate, given its technical infrastructure and established expertise in textile science and research.

The Italy-backed initiative runs in parallel with other international efforts to strengthen Ghana’s circular economy.

In 2025, Ghana launched the Ghana Circular Economy Centre, a CAD 7.5 million, five-year program implemented by UNIDO in coordination with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, with funding from Global Affairs Canada.

That program focuses on policy development, enterprise support and skills training across multiple waste streams, including plastics and organics.

Borla Taxi, Tricycle Association strengthen waste management

Separately, developments on the ground highlight growing recognition of informal actors in Ghana’s waste ecosystem.

The Borla Taxi and Tricycle Association (BTTA) has sworn in new national executives, signaling a renewed push to strengthen the role of informal waste collectors.

At the inauguration ceremony in Accra, officials from environmental agencies, local government and civil society groups underscored the association’s importance in urban sanitation.

BTTA board chairman Godsway Asamani said the new leadership would prioritize transparency, inclusivity and gender balance, while expanding partnerships and advocacy around waste management.

Together, these initiatives point to a more integrated, industry-oriented approach to circular economy development in Ghana, linking innovation, policy and grassroots waste recovery.

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