Ace Ghanaian Waste management company Zoomlion Ghana Limited and its Chief Executive Officer Mr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong have been honoured at a colourful ceremony in Accra by the Millennium Excellence Foundation. The company was among 29 institutions and personalities nominated for the awards held every five years. The company received the “Leadership in Industry” category award which was presented by the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Mr. Gong Jianzhong and the Representative of His Royal Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Oheneba Adusei-Poku, Akyempimhene. In an interview after the awards ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer said Zoomlion was very proud and happy to be recognized by the Foundation. He said Zoomlion has the passion to render excellent environmental sanitation services not only to Ghana, but Africa as a whole. Mr. Agyepong further explained that the company over the past few years has brought dignity and pride to the environmental sanitation industry, which hither to was not available due to stigmatization of workers by society. “We make sure that our workers are well trained and are properly clothed to prevent work related infections.” In short, we have demystified waste management,” he added. He also said initiatives introduced by the company such as the “Free bin Promotion” has made positive gains in the country as a whole. “As a result of our free bin promotion, where each of our clients received a free waste bin, all waste management companies in the Greater Accra Metropolis have been asked by the Accra Metropolitan Authority to give free waste bins to their clients,”. The Chief Executive Officer said adding, “We are very proud of our influence in this direction.” According to him, the company is also a trail blazer in the establishment of waste reduction and minimization projects aimed at reducing the waste that goes to final disposal sites or landfill sites. “We are establishing a Plastic Recycling plant as well as a Sorting and Compost plant at Adjen Kotoku, near Nsawam. For instance our Compost Plant can generate 600 to 900 tonnes of compost every day.” “We are not just collecting and dumping solid waste, we have taken steps to acquire a site, procure a Sorting and Composting Plant as well as a Plastic Recycling Plant which are all under installation now,” he said. He said the company was also in the process of completing the construction of a Waste Management Institute to train personnel for the waste management industry in the West African Sub- region. He said Zoomlion could not have achieved much without the support of its cherished staff and clients. He paid special tribute to the Ghanaian populace whom he said have accepted the company as well as nominated the company for the award. Other organizations that were awarded by the Foundation included, Institute of Democratic Governance, Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Angela Dwamena Aboagye of the Ark Foundation, Prof, Kwabena Frimpong Boateng, Prof. Kofi Awoonor and Major General Henry Anyidoho among others .