Business Partnership Facility

Upcycling cocoa residuals for a more resilient building industry

Project leader

Architecture agency COCA (Luxembourg)

Local partner

Global Bamboo Product Ltd (Ghana)

Associated partner

Material Innovation Center (MIC) Foundation (Netherland)

Amount of co-financing

EUR 75,000

Ghana
2022
Completed

Challenge

On the one hand, the rapid population growth in Ghana translates to an exponential need for accessible and adapted housing solutions. At the same time, approximately 70% of construction materials are imported, presenting a myriad of challenges. On the other hand, unused cocoa residuals are largely available.

Innovative solution

The partners conducted a feasibility study with the goal of repurposing abundant cocoa production residues into construction materials. Prototype construction boards have been developed and tested.

Impact

Development of an alternative building industry
Improvement of inhabitants’ lives by offering access to local, affordable and low emissions building materials
In the long term: upcycling of 15,000 metric tons of residual material, with total mitigated emissions equal to 21,900 tons CO2/year, for the next 20+ years

Targeted Sustainable Development Goals

The locally sourced, affordable and low-emission production materials are accessible to local populations.
The sustainable and locally developed construction industry represents an alternative to more polluting traditional construction material imports.
The residues from cocoa production thus recycled constitute a potential volume of 1,500 metric tons.
With reduced imports of construction materials, there is a potential reduction of 21,900 tons of CO2 per year.