ASASE Foundation
ASASE Foundation is a Ghanaian NGO that runs the CASH IT! social enterprise, operating community-based plastic waste collection and recycling plants (2,000T/year each) in partnership with Municipal Assemblies, employing predominantly women and producing plastic lumber for furniture and construction.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersGreater Accra Region, Ghana
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ASASE Foundation does
ASASE Foundation is a Ghanaian non-governmental organization, registered in the Greater Accra Region, that operates the CASH IT! social enterprise platform to address plastic pollution through community-based collection and recycling. The organization was founded in 2017, with its first CASH IT! Recycling Plant launched in Kpone-Katamanso in November 2018 and scaled to 2,000 tonnes per year of plastic waste reprocessing capacity by 2019-2020. Operations expanded with a second 2,000T/year plant in Tema West in 2022 and a converting plant in Weija-Gbawe that turns recycled flakes into plastic lumber for furniture and light construction, with a fourth recycling plant commissioned in New Juaben in the Ashanti Region in 2025.
The core technology is industrial plastic reprocessing: sorting, washing, shredding, drying, and extrusion of plastic waste, plus downstream plastic lumber extrusion. Collection Operations purchase plastic waste from local waste pickers, residents, and community schools; recycling plants process the material into flakes, and the converting plant produces lumber products. ASASE manages each operation until it becomes economically self-sustaining and then transfers assets to the employees, primarily women from former waste-picker backgrounds.
The business model combines three revenue streams: sales of recycled products (primarily plastic lumber), donations from individuals and institutions, and certified carbon credit issuance under Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction Standard, with project advisory from Plastic Collective and inclusion in the World Bank's first Plastic Waste Reduction-linked Bond issued in January 2024. Go-to-market is community-led: CASH IT! Operations are launched in collaboration with Municipal Assemblies (Kpone-Katamanso, Tema West, Weija-Gbawe, and New Juaben), leveraging public-sector cooperation for site access, feedstock collection, and eventual local ownership.
ASASE Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ASASE Foundation
- Legal name
- ASASE Foundation
- Website
- https://asasegh.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ASASE Foundation is a Ghanaian NGO that runs the CASH IT! social enterprise, operating community-based plastic waste collection and recycling plants (2,000T/year each) in partnership with Municipal Assemblies, employing predominantly women and producing plastic lumber for furniture and construction.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ASASE Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Plastic Waste Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Materials Recovery Facilities (56292), Waste Collection (56211), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Waste Treatment and Disposal (56221)
- SIC
- Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA)
Keywords
Where ASASE Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greater Accra Region
- HQ country
- Ghana
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices5 records
Markets served
ASASE Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Recycled Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling recycled plastic products including plastic lumber manufactured at the CASH IT! Converting Plant. Products are sold for furniture making and light construction applications.
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies on donations to fund operations, training, resources, and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Donations support waste-to-wealth initiatives and recycling programs.
- Carbon Credits / Verra Plastic Waste Reduction: The community-based plastic collection and recycling project is registered under Verra's Plastic Waste Reduction Standard. The project was selected for inclusion in the World Bank's Plastic Waste Reduction-linked Bond.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
ASASE Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ASASE Foundation operates community-based plastic waste collection and recycling plants under the CASH IT! program, processing up to 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year per facility through sorting, washing, shredding, drying and extrusion. It also runs a Converting Plant that turns recycled plastic flakes into plastic lumber for furniture and light construction. The Foundation funds, trains and manages each operation until it becomes economically self-sustaining, then transfers the assets to the women employees who run it.
Product overview
ASASE Foundation operates CASH IT! Social Enterprise as its primary product—a collection of community-based plastic waste collection operations and recycling plants. The CASH IT! model includes Collection Operations (buying plastic waste from local waste pickers and schools) and Recycling Plants (processing up to 2000T/year through sorting, washing, shredding, drying and extrusion). A Converting Plant produces plastic lumber from recycled flakes for furniture and construction. The Foundation provides seed money, technical and business training, and manages operations until they become self-sustaining and assets transfer to community employees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CASH IT! Social Enterprise (Collection Operations and Recycling Plants) Community-based plastic waste collection operations and recycling plants that purchase plastic waste from local waste pickers, residents and schools, and process up to 2,000T of plastic waste per year through sorting, washing, shredding, drying and extrusion. The Foundation manages each operation until self-sustaining, then transfers assets to employees.
- CASH IT! Plastic Lumber (Converting Plant Output) Plastic lumber produced at the CASH IT! Converting Plant from recycled plastic flakes sourced from the recycling plants; sold for use in furniture making and light construction applications.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2000T of plastic waste collected and reprocessed per year per plant
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ASASE Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ASASE Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
ASASE Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Alliance to End Plastic WastecoreStrategic partner supporting the foundation's mission to address plastic pollution in Ghana through community-based collection and recycling initiatives.
- Bruckner GroupcoreIndustry partner providing expertise and support for plastic recycling operations and technology.
- Dow Chemical CompanycoreMajor corporate partner supporting plastic waste recycling initiatives and sustainable solutions.
- Dana Mosora ConsultingminorConsulting partner providing advisory services for project development and implementation.
- ETH ZurichcoreAcademic partner through SusLab research initiative providing technical expertise and innovation for plastic recycling technology.
- Plastic CollectiveflagshipAdvisory partner managing the Verra Plastic Waste Reduction Standard registration. Facilitated inclusion in World Bank's Plastic Waste Reduction-linked Bond in January 2024. Leading partner in the project's certification and carbon finance mechanisms.
- SESAminorPartner organization in the recycling ecosystem, contributing to waste management solutions.
- Kpone-Katamanso Municipal AssemblycoreLocal government partner where the first CASH IT! Recycling Plant was launched in November 2018. Collaboration for community-based waste collection operations.
- Tema West Municipal AssemblycoreLocal government partner where the second CASH IT! Recycling Plant was launched in 2022. Municipal collaboration for plastic waste management.
- Weija-Gbawe Municipal AssemblycoreLocal government partner where the CASH IT! Converting Plant for plastic lumber production was established in 2022.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ASASE Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mr. Green Africa: Kenya-based plastic recycling social enterprise that buys post-consumer plastic from informal collectors and sells recycled feedstock to manufacturers; directly comparable community-picker-to-recycler model in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Wecyclers: Nigeria-based social enterprise that collects and recycles plastic waste from low-income households via a community-based collection network in West Africa; comparable operating geography and target population to ASASE.
- SESA: India-based plastic-to-value social enterprise focused on converting multilayer plastic waste into usable products; comparable community collection + processing model and is a listed ASASE partner.
- Coliba: Côte d'Ivoire-based company operating community plastic collection and recycling, including in Ghana; comparable West African footprint and plastic-to-product value chain.
- Plastic Collective: Australian-based social enterprise and ASASE's advisory partner that runs community plastic recycling projects and manages Verra Plastic Waste Reduction Standard registrations globally — same model and same certification framework.
Emerging players
- Renewlogy: US-based advanced plastics recycling technology company converting mixed plastic waste into fuels and feedstocks; comparable end-of-pipeline plastic-to-product conversion technology though operating in a very different market.
- Recykal: India-based plastic waste management and EPR platform operator; comparable plastics circular economy stack but focused on a different geography and digital EPR model.
- WEEE Centre: Ghana-based recycling and e-waste social enterprise; operates in the same Ghanaian geography with a parallel community-based reuse/recycling mission, though focused on e-waste rather than plastic.
Broad incumbents
- Plastic Bank: Global social enterprise that collects ocean-bound plastic and exchanges it for digital rewards via community collection points; comparable community-based plastic collection and ESG/credit monetization, but at much larger global scale.
Others
- Alliance to End Plastic Waste: Industry-funded alliance (with Dow as co-founder) supporting community plastic waste solutions in high-leakage geographies; ASASE's strategic partner and a comparable ecosystem builder rather than a direct operator.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ASASE Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceASASE Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
ASASE Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ASASE Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ASASE Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ASASE Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ASASE Foundation
What does ASASE Foundation do?
ASASE Foundation operates community-based plastic waste collection and recycling plants under the CASH IT! program, processing up to 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year per facility through sorting, washing, shredding, drying and extrusion. It also runs a Converting Plant that turns recycled plastic flakes into plastic lumber for furniture and light construction. The Foundation funds, trains and manages each operation until it becomes economically self-sustaining, then transfers the assets to the women employees who run it.
Is ASASE Foundation a public or private company?
ASASE Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ASASE Foundation founded?
ASASE Foundation was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ASASE Foundation based?
ASASE Foundation is headquartered in Greater Accra Region, Ghana, in the Africa region.
How does ASASE Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Recycled Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions and carbon Credits / Verra Plastic Waste Reduction.
Who are ASASE Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mr. Green Africa, Wecyclers, SESA, Coliba and Plastic Collective. Emerging players are Renewlogy, Recykal and WEEE Centre. Plastic Bank is listed as a broad incumbent. Alliance to End Plastic Waste is listed as an others.
Does ASASE Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for ASASE Foundation.
What industry is ASASE Foundation in?
ASASE Foundation's product category is Plastic Waste Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAKAA, Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply). Its NAICS code is 56292 and its SIC code is 4953.