Centre of Excellence for Ghana’s Circular Economy
Ghana Circular
Economy Centre
Advancing Ghana's circular economy transition through innovation, partnership, and the regeneration of value across priority sectors.
Transitioning from Linear to Circular
GCEC facilitates the shift from traditional take make dispose models to sustainable, circular systems that regenerate Ghana’s environment and economy. We believe in an inclusive approach that empowers the next generation of green entrepreneurs.
Sustainable
Design
Redesigning products for longevity and reuse.
Resource
Recovery
Turning industrial waste into high-value resources.
Renewable
Inputs
Prioritizing bio-based and non-toxic materials.
Social
Inclusivity
Empowering women and youth in the green economy.
Strategic Pillars
GCEC advances the circular economy in Ghana by strengthening systems, enterprises, and ecosystems across priority value chains. Our work focuses on:
Capacity Development
Building the skills and capabilities of entrepreneurs, enterprises, and institutions
Technology & Innovation
Supporting the development and scaling of circular technologies and business models
Access to
Finance
Improving investment readiness and linking circular enterprises to finance
Policy & Market Development
Generating evidence to strengthen enabling policies and markets
Partnerships & Ecosystem Development
Convening stakeholders to foster collaboration and coordinated action
Circular Ventures Programme
A flagship programme supporting innovators, startups, and MSMEs to develop, pilot, and scale circular economy solutions
Priority Value Chains
GCEC focuses its interventions across key value chains where circular solutions can deliver high economic, social, and environmental impact:
Textiles
Ghana’s textiles sector, particularly the second-hand clothing trade, faces significant waste challenges linked to short product lifecycles and limited systems for repair, reuse and recovery. The Centre supports circular innovations that extend garment life, promote circular design and recover value from textiles that would otherwise be lost.
Agriculture & Agro-processing
Across Ghana’s agriculture and agro-processing value chains, significant economic and environmental value is lost through post-harvest decay, inefficient processing and underutilised by-products. In collaboration with sector stakeholders, the Centre advances circular innovations across the value chain, including regenerative production that restores soil and ecosystem health, resource-efficient processing, the valorisation of by-products into new goods, and the return of organic materials to the biological cycle. The result is a more resilient food system that creates rural livelihoods, builds the natural capital on which farming depends, and turns what was once waste into new sources of income.
Plastics
Plastics remain integral to Ghana’s economy, yet their largely linear flow continues to drive pollution, emissions and resource loss. The Centre works across the plastics value chain to advance circular innovations, including durable product design, reuse models, alternatives to single-use items, improved collection, sorting and recycling, and the reintegration of materials into production. This supports circular enterprises, green jobs and Ghana’s transition towards a plastics economy where materials remain in productive use rather than being lost as waste.
Sustainable Development Goals
Global Integration,
Local Impact.
GCEC aligns its circular initiatives with the United Nations 2030 agenda, prioritizing systemic change across five core pillars of development.
2030 Target
64 MtCO2e
framework
NDCs Aligned
Ready to get involved?
Whether you are an innovator, an investor, or a policy maker, let’s collaborate to build a sustainable and waste-free future together.
