Supporting enterprises in capturing waste value: lessons learned from the CapVal sanitation project in Ghana
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International Water Management Institute
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The CapVal project in Ghana demonstrated the feasibility of integrating circular economy principles into urban sanitation systems through resource recovery enterprises. Implemented in partnership with municipal authorities and private sector actors, the project established three waste-to-value businesses: compost production from fecal sludge and organic waste, biomass briquette manufacturing from wood residues, and aquaculture utilizing treated wastewater. Located in Somanya and Kumasi, these facilities operated under joint venture agreements that enabled shared ownership, operational responsibilities, and cost recovery. While the compost enterprise faced market barriers such as limited demand and exclusion from national subsidy schemes, the briquette and aquaculture ventures showed greater commercial promise, particularly in meeting industrial fuel needs and local fish consumption.Despite constraints including land acquisition delays, regulatory compliance challenges, and weak institutional capacity, the project contributed to improved sanitation services, employment generation, and environmental protection. Findings underscore the importance of initial public investment, cross-sector collaboration, and targeted policy reforms to support the scalability and long-term sustainability of circular sanitation enterprises in low- and middle-income contexts.
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business models, circular economy, urban areas, waste management, wastewater treatment, solid wastes, waste treatment, faecal sludge, sawdust, agricultural wastes, urban wastes, urban agriculture, urban development, energy generation, forestry, composting, briquettes, aquaculture, public-private partnerships, stakeholders, product certification, project implementation, land acquisitions, marketing, employment