AERC Ghana welcomes EPA ban on styrofoam and calls for for a just, practical transition before 2027

AERC Ghana welcomes the announcement by the

Environmental Protection Agency to ban the production,

importation, distribution, sale and use of styrofoam and

takeaway packs effective I January 2027.

This is a necessary and timely step in Ghana's fight against

plastic pollution.

For too long, single-use plastics and foam

takeaway packs have polluted our streets, choked our drains,

worsened flooding, burdened waste collectors, and placed an unfair environmental cost on communities.

We believe this decision is not only about waste management, it is about public health, environmental justice, flooding

prevention, and the future of cleaner communities in Ghana.

However,AERC Ghana is clear on one point: a ban is only

the beginning.

The success of this policy will not be measured by the

announcement alone, it will be measured by how well Ghana

prepares, how fairly the transition is managed, and whether

affordable and safe alternatives are made available before the

deadline.

AERC Ghana is therefore calling for a national Foam-Free

Transition Plan to guide businesses, food vendors, schools,

churches, event organizers, supermarkets, public institutions,

local assemblies, and citizens ahead of January 2027.

Without proper planning, the ban could place pressure

on small food vendors, market women, chop bars, school

canteens, caterers, and low-income consumers who have

depended on cheap disposable packaging because better

systems were not made available to them.

AERC Ghana believes that environmental action must be firm,

but it must also be fair.

The transition away from styrofoam

must protect the environment without punishing the people

and businesses who need support to change.

We are calling for urgent action in five key areas:

1.Government and regulatory agencies must publish clear

implementation guidelines on what is banned, what is allowed, and how enforcement will be carried out.

2. Ghana must support affordable, safe, reusable, and locally

available alternatives so that the country does not simply

replace styrofoam with another harmful single-use product.

3. Small businesses, especially food vendors and caterers, must

receive education, support, and practical guidance to help

them transition before the deadline.

4. Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies must

prepare public education and enforcement plans now, not after the ban begins.

5. Institutions such as schools, churches, companies,

supermarkets, restaurants, and event centers must begin

reducing and phasing out styrofoam use immediately.

AERC Ghana is also urging the public not to wait until

January 2027 before taking action.Every restaurant, school,

church, company, event planner, food vendor, and household

must begin asking a simple but important question:

The phase-out of styrofoam should not be treated as a

burden.It should be treated as an opportunity to build

cleaner business practices, promote local innovation,

strengthen waste reduction systems, and protect

communities from the long-term cost of disposable

convenience.

As an organization advocating for the phasing out of single-

use plastics, AERC Ghana will continue to support policies

and public action that reduce plastic pollution and promote

responsible consumption.

We will also continue to advocate for a just transition that

supports small businesses, protects vulnerable communities,

encourages innovation, and ensures that environmental

progress benefits everyone.

The EPA's announcement is welcome.But Ghana must now move from announcement to action, from prohibition to preparation, and from wasteful convenience to responsible

alternatives.

AERC Ghana's message is simple: Don't wait for the ban. Start the switch. January 2027 is the deadline.

Today is the transition.