About The Placement
Join our community plastics recycling team and help turn waste into a resource. You’ll organise and take part in community clean-ups, set up local collection points to support an overstretched rural waste service, and transform collected plastics into eco-bricks for use in schools and community projects such as seating, greenhouses and small structures.
Alongside the hands-on work, you’ll also join our education campaign, visiting schools and community groups to show how plastic waste harms health and the environment and why it’s so important to reuse and recycle.
Why This Placement Matters
Single-use plastics are a major issue in Ghana and across West Africa. With many families living below the poverty line, products are sold in small sachets or disposable packaging to keep prices low. Awareness of the long-term environmental and health impacts is still limited, particularly in rural areas.
Plastic waste clogs open drains and gutters, creating breeding grounds for mosquitoes and increasing the risk of malaria for the most vulnerable. It also piles up in informal dumps, degrading local wildlife habitats and damaging fragile ecosystems.
We’re tackling this problem on two fronts:
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Immediate action through clean-ups, collection points and eco-brick production.
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Long-term change through education, upcycling and showing communities the value of reducing and reusing waste.
By volunteering, you help protect both people and nature while creating practical items for local schools and projects from what would otherwise be litter.
What's Included
Shared volunteer accommodation in a modern
house in semi-rural Kwahu with views of surrounding forests. Utilities
such as electricity, running water, and kitchen facilities are provided.
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Airport pickup on arrival.
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Pre-departure support and access to our volunteer portal.
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24/7 in-country support, with a local team member living on-site or nearby depending on volunteer numbers.
Your contribution directly sustains this support structure,
enabling us to employ local staff and ensure volunteers have safe,
comfortable living conditions.
Getting to Your Placement
Most plastics activities take place in and around Abetifi. Volunteers generally use shared taxis to travel to the workshop and clean-up sites, which are
readily available and affordable. Our team will guide you on routes,
group transport, and local tips. After projects, volunteers can easily
reach town to shop, meet friends, or explore the area.
Your Role
Your week will typically include:
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Community clean-ups and litter picks at set locations.
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Eco-brick production at the volunteer house or workshop.
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Upcycling projects — helping research and trial new products made from waste plastics for schools or community spaces.
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Education sessions — delivering simple demonstrations or assemblies on waste management and recycling at local schools or community groups (optional).
The placement is flexible, and we’ll adjust your timetable to suit your interests. You can also combine this with our other conservation or farming programmes if you wish.
Who You’ll Be Working With
You’ll work alongside fellow volunteers, our support team and local community members. At times you may also work independently on set tasks. A member of our volunteer support team will visit you periodically after the initial introduction to ensure you’re settled and making an impact.
Volunteer Expectations
We ask for enthusiasm, empathy and a willingness to get stuck in. Clean-up days can be tiring in the heat and humidity, but your effort makes a visible difference. No specific qualifications are required; we’ll discuss your interests at orientation and match you with suitable tasks.
We expect volunteers to attend placements Monday to Friday (with occasional flexibility for travel). This continuity ensures the communities we serve can rely on our support.
Our Commitment to You
We’re on hand any time to support you — whether you’d like help adjusting your timetable, trying another project, or planning weekend travel. Our local team at the volunteer house will also share insights on the area and Ghanaian life so you soon feel at home.
What to Bring
Bring at least one strong pair of shoes and full-length trousers or tracksuit bottoms for clean-up days. If you have experience in upcycling, bring your plans or ideas — we can share them with local communities or develop them into fundraising products. Professional litter-picking tools or lightweight gloves are also useful, as they’re hard to source locally.
During School Holidays
Apart from the outreach sessions in schools, the plastics recycling work continues as normal during school holidays. In fact, the free time often allows us to run larger clean-ups or workshops with community groups.
