Plastic waste: The silent pandemic

How much plastic waste ends up in our oceans annually? Let’s break it down.

Say you take 1 minute to brush your teeth, in that time one garbage truckload of plastic waste ends up in our oceans. You have breakfast that takes 30 minutes to prepare, by then 30 garbage truckloads of plastic waste ends up in our ocean. From the time you woke up to the time you get to work, say it takes you 1.5 hours, 90 garbage truckloads of plastic ended up in the ocean.

Yes, the shocking truth is that according to a Forbes article in 2020, 13 million tons of plastic waste ends up in our oceans every year, the same weight as 9 million full-grown blue whales!

Plastic waste is a pandemic threatening our already vulnerable environment, but how is it harmful? Let’s use this scenario:

You go to the shop and buy some food; it will come in a plastic bag. You will take that plastic when you are finished and throw it in the dustbin.

One of two things might happen, the garbage truck will collect it or it will end up in the street. If the garbage trucks collect your plastic, it will become part of a mountain of plastic waste, where only 5% of the waste in recycled in Ghana. If the plastic ends up in the street the wind or cars will push the bag into the drains, blocking all the sewage and other waste to move freely, making a breeding ground for bacteria and mosquitoes to grow that make you sick.

The plastic makes it all the way to rivers where the birds and fish can die from it, continuing its journey to the oceans. The plastic ends up in the gut of 90% of sea birds, in the stomachs of half of the world’s sea turtles and it’s predicted if we carry on with this rate of plastic waste, that in 2050 there will be more plastics in the oceans than fish. It is alarming what devasting effect just one plastic bag can have, now imagine when every Ghanaian use just one plastic bag every day, that is 30 million plastic bags. Keep in mind that some plastics last forever, and will most probably outlast humanity itself.

Luckily Ghana has joined the World’s Economic Forum’s Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP) in 2019, and the first African country to do so. GPAP works closely with Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) to create more sustainable plastic waste management. Although this is definitely a step in the right direction, Ghana still needs the help of all Ghanaians and foreigners living in the country.

A few organizations have also popped up over the last years, focusing their energy to help combat plastic waste. One that stands out is called, SAY NO TO SINGLE USE PLASTICS (SNTSUP) in partnership with Reusable Bags Ghana.

Their focus is exactly what the name suggests; creating awareness and providing solutions to not use single-use plastics in Ghana. SNTSUP makes their own cloth bags from used clothing that gets donated and would otherwise be thrown away, which in return also help the clothing pollution that also endangers our eco-system. The production cost of these bags is all independently funded. SNTSUP will however get in contact with any persons willing to donate old clothing. To date, SNTSUP has already distributed over 4000 (mostly free) cloth bags and is aiming even higher in 2021. These bags are beautifully handmade in different colours and sizes that is very affordable at only 2 GHS per bag. The bag can be used again and again, and by using it you can reduce your plastic waste by approximately 1500 plastic bags each year.

SNTSUP also focuses on education by going to schools and markets, educating our youth on why saying no to single-use plastics is important and what they can do the help save the environment.

“It is of great importance that everybody takes responsibility in saying no to singe use plastics and carry your own cloth bag with you all the time, we want to help protect Ghana’s beautiful fauna and flora and will work tirelessly at our goal,” says Soni Valecha, founder of SNTSUP.

To help these organisations and do our part is our humanitarian duty to our beloved Ghana, if we work together by making small changes and saying no so single-use plastics we can combat the fight against plastic waste.

Here is what you can do:

1. Donate your used clothing to SNTSUP

2. Buy a cloth bag and use it instead of a plastic bag

3. Inform your family and friends

4. Get involved with organizations in your area