Turning Faecal Waste Into Business Opportunities · Global Voices
Kofi Yeboah

Clean Team Ghana's toilet cartridges awaiting delivery to customers in Kumasi, Ghana on October 17, 2013. Photo by Nyani. Used with permission from Clean Team Ghana.
It might not look like much to the average person, but to social entrepreneurs faecal waste is valuable business. Inorganic fertilisers are being replaced with faecal sludge, which is cheaper and rich in resources for agricultural purposes.
Having realised the potential in the re-use of faecal waste, Clean Team Ghana (@cleanteamghana), a sanitation company in Ghana that provides innovative and affordable in-house toilet facilities to urban communities, organised a Twitter chat pulling experts on faecal waste treatment from around the world to share thoughts on “How to Turn Faecal Waste into Opportunities”. The chat on April 15, 2014 used the hashtag #WasteOpportunities.
It was the company's second Twitter chat. The first tackled how open defecation can be eradicated in Ghana with the input of sanitation experts, government officials, social enterprises and the online community on January 24, 2014.
Gavin Collins, a lecturer at the Ryan Institute in Ireland, commented:
I would say the sky's the limit when it comes to the products and services that can be generated from faecal waste. #wasteopportunities
— Gavin Collins (@gcollinsgalway) April 15, 2014
Doreen Anim, a revenue collection manager at Clean Team Ghana, pointed out:
@CleanTeamGhana @princeboadu it can be converted into ethanol and methanol to be used as liquid fuels in engine #wasteopportunities
— Doreen Anim (@DoreenAnim) April 15, 2014
Andy Narracott emphasised the use of CO2 from waste:
Fisheries have challenges sustainably managing underwater plant ecosystem in ponds. CO2 from waste could provide input #wasteopportunities
— Andy Narracott (@AndyNarracott) April 15, 2014
What are the main challenges in turning faecal waste into opportunities? Twitter user @ahiabor offered one answer:
@CleanTeamGhana Culture, Funding, Infrastructure all play a part. For instance we do not have a planned sewerage system #wasteopportunities
— SHaNToN (@ahiabor) April 15, 2014
Gavin Collins agreed:
There's a ‘yuck factor’ permeating the debate on suitability, acceptability of products & services frm faecal waste.. #wasteopportunities
— Gavin Collins (@gcollinsgalway) April 15, 2014
Naomi Kokuro wrote:
@CleanTeamGhana @asantewamonney culture is the first barrier once that is broken,funding wouldnt be much a problem #wasteopportunities
— Naomi Kokuro (@naamsb) April 15, 2014
Francis Kumadoh argued:
Culture is a factor in the management of faecal waste. #wasteopportunities @CleanTeamGhana
— francis kumadoh (@kumadorian) April 15, 2014
Replying to Francis Kumadoh's tweet, Valerie Labi wrote:
@kumadorian @CleanTeamGhana and smell people there's lots of money to be made in value chain.handling & transportation & end product
— Valerie Labi (@valerielabi) April 15, 2014
Akua Akyaa Nkrumah, innovations manager at waste management firm Jekora Ghana, commented:
@CleanTeamGhana -ve perceptions of waste, lack of govt support, lack of capital and lack of market for waste products #wasteopportunities
— Akua Akyaa Nkrumah (@AkyaaN) April 15, 2014
Super Yansh, a sanitation-oriented enterprise providing a home away from home toilet, suggested:
@AkyaaN @CleanTeamGhana #wasteopportunities: In creating useful products from faecal waster we must consider our cultural values&believes
— SUPERYANSH (@superyansh) April 15, 2014
Dan Smith, a technical support consultant at Clean Team Ghana, argued:
If you process faecal sludge to industrial fuel then culture is not an issue #wasteopportunities
— Dan Smith (@dpksmith) April 15, 2014
Andy Narracott disagreed that culture is the main challenge:
@CleanTeamGhana No – money talks. We spoke to cocoa farmers who were happy w/ fertiliser from waste as long as cheaper! #wasteopportunities
— Andy Narracott (@AndyNarracott) April 15, 2014
Hans Doctor, ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo, wrote:
@dpksmith @CleanTeamGhana pricing has to be competitive, otherwise people will not buy.
— Hans Docter (@hansdocter) April 15, 2014
Climate Watch Ghana suggested:
The issue of benefits shouldn't be concentrated on financial gains….think about the environmental benefits much more. #wasteopportunities
— ClimateWatch Ghana (@ClimateWatchGh) April 15, 2014
Asantewa Monney remarked:
We normally 4get that waste is not all about recovery n recycling but also talk about reuse…remember the coke bottle #wasteopportunities
— Asantewa Gyamfi (@asantewamonney) April 15, 2014
Mona Mij, an industrial designer, tweeted:
#wasteopportunities in dev countries: Excreta reuse needs to be sexy! How? People involvement, stylish branding+marketing! @CleanTeamGhana
— Mona Mij (@MonaMij) April 15, 2014