NGO starts collecting plastic waste in Tema, environs

Tema, May 17, GNA-Van-Agar Services Foundation Plastic Waste Pal, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) on the environment, on Tuesday started collecting plastic waste littered on the streets and in gutters in the Tema township.

Its Chief Executive, Madam Esther Vanderpuge, said the NGO was collecting plastic waste in the city for recycling into other plastic products at Qualiplast Products at Korle Gonno, in Accra. She said the 100 youth who had been engaged to undertake the exercise, would be given something token to motivate them and appealed to industries and philanthropists to assist the NGO in kind or cash to sustain the exercise.

Mrs Vanderpuge commended Mr K.B. Asante a former diplomat, Mr Kwame Pianim, an Economist, and Ms Joyce Aryee, Chief Executive of Chamber of Mines for supporting the NGO.

Mr Emmanuel Sodja Mensah, Tema Municipal Environmental Chief Officer, praised the NGO for complementing efforts of the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) in its measures to rid the Tema of flirt. He gave the assurance that the Tema Municipal Environmental Office would support the NGO with wheel barrows and other equipment to facilitate its work.

He advised residents of Tema to make use of litter bins placed at vantage points in Tema to help rid the area of filth, especially plastic waste that was mostly found at the lorry Tema community one, Ashaiman, New Town and Tema-Aflao lorry stations.

Mr Mensah commended plastic manufacturing companies in Tema for assisting the TMA to tackle environmental issues in the area. He, however, expressed dissatisfaction about the poor response of producers of sachet water to the call on them to contribute to efforts aimed at removing filth from the city.

Mr Mensah said they complained that they could not make payments to their mother association in Accra and the TMA as well. He reminded the water producers that TMA bye-laws enjoined them to contribute to the development of the city.