Stakeholders support the need to rid Ghana of plastic waste

Stakeholders at a forum held to mark World Environment Day in Ghana on Tuesday called for a combination of actions and radical measures from the citizenry to help rid the country of plastic pollution.

They said individuals, the private sector, corporate entities, and the State must all play critical roles to ensure that the plastic waste menace, was effectively dealt with.

Ms Josephine Nkrumah, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in a contribution to a panel discussion held as part of the Environment Day, said all Ghanaians have to be responsible towards preserving the environment, and especially, in handling plastic waste.

She said all of “us have to be radical and passionate towards keeping the environment clean and safeguarding it for the future generation”.

She said there should be a national awareness to raise the consciousness of the people, right from the schools and among the general populace on the menace of plastics and their impact on society so all would be committed to the fight against environmental pollution.

Mr Peter Derry, a Deputy Director at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, stated that a national Policy was being developed to give direction on how to effectively manage plastic waste in Ghana.

He said that Policy would be holistic in defining critical measures as to how the State could collaborate with stakeholders to handle plastics waste.

Other contributors emphasised the need to regulate the sector, and also mount out education and sensitisation programmes to alert the citizens on the roles they could play to end plastic pollution.

The celebration of the world event, marked on June 5 annually, was adopted in 1974 by the United Nation to throw more lights on the need to protect the environment from degradation.



The Day has been celebrated across the world to raise awareness on current and emerging environmental issues such as pollution, overpopulation, biodiversity conservation, global warming, among others.

The 2018 celebration, was themed: “Beat Plastic Pollution, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle”.

Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation said the country would not rush to ban plastic materials now but would wait to develop the Policy that would give proper direction on how to educate the populace and putting measures in turning plastic waste to resources and value addition.

Mr John Pwamang, Acting Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the theme for the celebration was critical since it emphasised the need to beat plastic out of the environment.

He said the microplastics that came out of plastics were being emitted into the environment and causing many health implications for the people, and therefore the need to combine efforts to deal with the menace faster.