Biochar Production as a Sustainable Waste Management Option

Abstract

Current management practices of Municipal Waste in Ghana have not yielded the expected results, negatively impacting the environment and human health. This thesis seeks to assess the sustainability of biochar production as a Municipal Solid Waste Management option. The study employed the pillars of sustainable sanitation to guide this assessment. Biochar production to sustainably manage waste will add value and extend shelf life of materials classified as waste. These capabilities allow for the transformation of organic waste into an essential resource with multiple applications including carbon sequestration, energy production, soil amendments, among others. The research employed a random sampling method to gather information on household waste management behavioural patterns, as well as knowledge and awareness of biochar, through the administration of questionnaires. In addition, a purposive sampling approach was used to select key informants from government institutions and agencies. These informants were interviewed using a structured guide to obtain information on biochar production and its applications. Findings from the study indicated that many households mixed their waste, and as such, there is a pressing need for aggressive implementation of source separation at the household and community level, to enable the organic component of Municipal Solid Waste feedstock be easily extracted for biochar production. At the institutional level, even though the biochar option was appreciated, there were gaps related to its production processes including its potential feedstocks, products, and co-products. As such intense sensitization and awareness efforts are needed to emphasize the sustainability the technology could provide. This, in turn, could influence policy development and potentially transform waste management in Ghana. With this, meaningful progress can be made towards the sustainable management of municipal waste, while expanding waste management pathways that support the transition from a "Collect-Aggregate-Dump" approach to an "Extract-Repurpose-Reuse" Model.