Waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana, has commissioned another waste transfer station to facilitate the collection and disposal of waste in the metropolis.

The facility was opened on Friday, May 19,  and is located behind the New Achimota Lorry station in Accra.

It has the capacity to hold at least 2000 tonnes of garbage daily. 

Two years ago, Zoomlion opened the first waste transfer station at Teshie, a suburb of Accra at a cost of about $7 million.

The two facilities serve as temporary holding points of wastes from other waste management companies in the metropolis before they are conveyed subsequently to landfill sites or compost plants for onward processing or recycling.

The new facility has a weighing bridge with an automated system to calculate the weight of waste dumped by each truck. Odour from the plant is mitigated by the air tight and leakage proof nature of the transfer trailers.

The Achimota and Teshie facilities are managed by Zoompak, a subsidiary of the Jospong Group of Companies, in partnership with the Government of Ghana.

Speaking at the commissioning of the facility, the Executive Director of Jospong Group of Companies, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyapong, said the facility could not have come at a better time as it will boost President Nana Akufo-Addo's intention to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa.

Dr Agyapong said the commissioning of the Achimota station means the city has the full complement of waste management infrastructure.

The new facility will also reduce the cost of transporting wastes for the members of the  Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA) who had to travel long distances to dispose of wastes.

"As ESPA members, the plant will improve our turn-around time, reduce the maintenance cost of our vehicles as they will be travelling shorter distances, reduce fuel cost and driver fatigue. It will also ensure speedy collection and haulage of waste from the city, and begin the cleanest city agenda as envisioned by our government,” said Dr Agyapong.

Managing Director (MD) of Zoompak, Yuksil Unal, revealed that the two transfer stations are unique to Ghana since no other Africa country has such infrastructure.ties.

Mayor of Accra, Adjei Sowah, commended Zoomlion for the facility.

He said the construction of waste transfer stations is crucial in government's quest to make Accra clean.

He said with the opening of the station, waste collectors would have no business to leave or dump waste on pavement, warning anyone who would be caught, will be dealt as the law stipulates.

Since its inception ten years ago, Zoomlion Ghana, a leading waste management company, has established the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant at Adjin Kotoku, Universal Plastic Products and Recycling, Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited, Zoomlion Domestic and Zoompak to provide an integrated waste management solution, where waste collected are recycled into compost, waste bins, bin liners and other useful products.