Ghana Turns 100 Tons of Plastic Daily Into Fuel

Accra's mountains of plastic waste are about to become something unexpected: fuel for vehicles and energy for homes.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly just signed a binding agreement with Numatter Recycling Technologies Limited to build Ghana's first industrial-scale plastic-to-fuel plant. The facility will convert more than 100 tons of plastic waste daily into premium-grade petrol, diesel, kerosene, and activated carbon.

This isn't just about cleaning up streets. The project will create approximately 1,500 jobs across waste collection, sorting, transportation, and plant operations.

The facility will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, tackling one of Accra's most stubborn problems: plastic pollution. Sachets, multilayer films, and other hard-to-recycle plastics currently clog drains and cause devastating floods during rainy season, damaging property and disrupting traffic throughout the city.

Under the agreement, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly will coordinate plastic waste streams from across the metropolis to the facility. Numatter will process everything using patented technology that breaks down end-of-life plastics into usable fuel products.

Michael Kpakpo Allotey, Accra's Metropolitan Chief Executive, called the agreement a significant step toward transforming plastic waste from an environmental burden into a strategic economic resource. The project moves beyond the memorandum of understanding signed in September 2025 into contractual and operational reality.

The Ripple Effect

This plant creates something revolutionary: a profitable market for plastics that recyclers normally reject. Instead of burning plastic in open pits or watching it wash into waterways, waste collectors now have a buyer willing to pay for materials previously considered worthless.

The facility gives financing certainty through long-term supply commitments, making construction possible. It positions Accra as a leader in circular economy infrastructure, where waste products become raw materials for new industries.

Kelvin Boateng, CEO of Numatter Recycling Technologies, captured the vision perfectly: plastic waste should no longer mark the end of a product's lifecycle, but rather represent strategic raw material capable of powering new industries and supporting cleaner, more resilient cities.

The project demonstrates how African cities can convert environmental challenges into industrial assets that generate energy, employment, and long-term economic value while protecting public health and urban infrastructure.

Construction and mobilization begin now that feedstock agreements are secured.