Academic City University and Prudential Life Insurance Ghana have partnered to transform plastic waste into learning desks for basic schools across Ghana as part of their commitment to building a sustainable future.

Management of the two institutions have donated 100 of these eco-friendly desks to teachers and pupils of Gbegbeyise Basic School in the Greater Accra Region.

The initiative was supported by McKingtorch Africa, which worked with students of Academic City to produce the desks.

This project aligns with Academic City’s ‘Sustain City’ initiative, which empowers students to tackle real-life environmental challenges.

The project began with students collecting plastic waste, which was then repurposed using a special machine developed in collaboration with a partner university in the United States.

This machine converts plastic waste into reusable materials, giving new life to what would otherwise harm the environment.

Speaking at a ceremony to officially hand over the desks to Gbegbeyise Basic School, Peter Edem Adjei, Chief Operations Officer of Prudential Life, emphasised that the investment in plastic recycled desks demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability and its belief that corporate responsibility must go beyond business — it must uplift communities, protect the environment and inspire progress.

“We started this project as a simple waste segregation programme in our office. We then encouraged our staff and agents to bring in their plastic waste for recycling.

"Before long, it became something bigger. We partnered with Academic City University to transform the plastic waste into something useful — hence the plastic recycled desks,” he said.

Tanko Mohammed, Director of Programme Management, Academic City, expressed excitement about the project and commended Prudential Life for taking the bold step to partner with Academic City in reducing plastic waste and creating an opportunity for academia and industry to join forces to tackle societal challenges.

He observed that “education and sustainability go hand in hand. By investing in both, we are investing in the future of Ghana. Today is not just about donating furniture; it is about showing what teamwork, creativity, and care for our planet can achieve.

"These desks were made from recycled plastic that could have polluted our streets and water bodies.”

Teachers and pupils of Gbegbeyise Basic School could not hide their excitement and gratitude. Many described the gesture as timely, as it provides comfortable seating while promoting awareness of environmental protection.