“Côte d'Ivoire is showing leadership in the campaign against plastic pollution. Since 2014, it has banned the use of plastic bags, supporting a shift to reusable packaging. The country’s largest city, Abidjan, has also become a hub for environmentally minded start-ups.” (www.worldenvironmentday.global) When I read the information above, I was greatly enthused, but I was sad too. Excited because “our next door neighbour”, Côte d'Ivoire, is making great progress in promoting environmental safety and sustainability, through deliberate actions. On the other hand, I became sad when I realized that, in our motherland, we have not given salient environmental issues like plastic pollution, the necessary attention. Unfortunately, our widespread cultures of “much talk and less action”, intentional negligence, and ignorance are gradually pushing us into an abyss of environmental destruction.
The recent World Environment Day which was observed around the world on June 5, 2023, “focussed on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution.” In Ghana, The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, in a press release, indicated that the problem with plastics is the collection and improper disposal of single-use plastics (MESTI, 2023).
Ongoing research on plastic pollution in the coastal areas of Ghana has revealed that plastic waste management in the country is a great challenge (Goncalves, 2023). In addition, our inability to properly manage plastic waste is a key cause of the perennial floods we observe around the country (Goncalves, 2023). Furthermore, after eating and drinking from single-use plastics, we wrongly leave them on the ground, without properly disposing of them. As a result, some of the commonest plastic products causing harm to our environment include single-use plastics (usually used to package food) and synthetic hair extensions made of plastic (Goncalves, 2023).
Image source: i.dawn.com
Interestingly, Article 41 (k) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana, urges us to “….. protect and safeguard the environment.” It is noteworthy that there is a National Plastics Management Policy (NPMP), with a section of the preface reading “Plastics waste management has become one of the biggest and complex challenges of this century, and as a complex challenge, it requires innovative and integrated solutions to reduce the additional cost to conventional development.” (MESTI, 2020). The same document adds that “The options for sustainably managing plastics are many and varied, and will be adopted as a package of synergistic strategies to most efficiently achieve the aim of comprehensive plastics management as a tool for ensuring the integrity of our environment and sustainable development.” (MESTI, 2021).
Toxicological population studies have found that toxic chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) – and its many emerging replacements – phthalates, brominated flame retardants, and heavy metals enter our bodies through eating food that has come into contact with plastics, sometimes, through packaging (MESTI, 2020). When these chemicals get into our bodies, they can cause harm to us in the following ways: “decreased fertility, increased cancer, impaired cognition and development, and hormone disruption, among other life-quality degrading scenarios.” (MESTI, 2020). Is it not strange how the incidence of cancers, kidney disease, and cataracts is increasing in our population? Also, burning plastics causes air pollution, by releasing dangerous gases and particles into the environment and increasing the risk of respiratory diseases in both humans and animals.
Unfortunately, even our best intentions of dumping plastics at designated refuse dumps and pits, result in water pollution, through the leaching of harmful chemicals from these sites into our water bodies (MESTI, 2020). Plastic pollution poses a threat to both freshwater and marine organisms including fish, turtles, crustaceans, bivalves, crabs, and the like.
What can we do?
Fortunately, as of June 2023, Ghana has confirmed to join the United Nations Environmental Programme’s Global Commitment to the New Plastics Economy, to contribute to “building a circular economy for plastic, in which it (plastic) never becomes waste or pollution” (UNEP, 2023).
Also, the existence of a National Plastic Management Policy means that, at the national level, there is a governmental commitment to curbing the menace of plastic pollution in Ghana. However, we need an expedited approach to the implementation of the policy. It is my prayer that this policy sees the daylight, and does not meet its untimely demise, like some policies that have become redundant through the ages. If we fail at this fight, the plastic conundrum will likely be an albatross around the proverbial neck of our motherland, for untold generations.
This fight calls for a concerted effort of the private sector, educational institutions, researchers, governmental and non-governmental organizations, religious institutions, traditional authorities, and all stakeholders that care about the environment
It is highly commendable that AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, has recently collaborated with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other stakeholders to improve environmental sustainability in Obuasi, by coordinating a campaign against the disposal of plastic waste. Awards valued at GH₵ 600,000, including laptop and desktop computers, dustbins, school bags, books, and TV sets “were given out to schools, individuals, and organizations who excelled in the campaign.” (GNA, 2023). According to the Ghana News Agency, “There was also an exhibition on plastic waste recycling by school children who turned most of this waste plastic into usable materials.” (GNA, 2023).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has outlined some guidelines to enable citizens to contribute to the fight against plastic pollution in Ghana. These are: say no to single-use plastics; wean yourself off disposable plastics; segregate waste and recycle plastic waste; use alternatives to plastics; cook more and use less plastic packaging materials; and buy in bulk (www.mesti.gov.gh). I believe that we can begin to prioritise these guidelines as a nation, through public education and legislation.
We can reduce plastic pollution through the following suggested ways. First, though some food vendors have successfully transitioned from utilizing plastic packaging to leaves, there are many more still using plastic packaging. Let us encourage all food vendors to use leaves and paper cups and bags for packaging where possible. Secondly, we should learn to segregate our household waste and reuse plastic bottles and materials where possible. For example, after drinking from plastic bottles, we may convert them to containers for holding and storing food items such as gari and cooking oil. Thirdly, we can reward the innovation of people who recycle plastic products. We can launch a monthly project for all our schools in the form of a competition, to find and reward the best schools who excel at recycling plastic waste. This can be done by local authorities. In addition, every school can promote recycling by rewarding the best recycling class, students/pupils, and more.
Proposed Intervention
I propose a very simple approach to curb plastic pollution in Ghana. On the premise that many Ghanaians seem to be inherently competitive, we can launch an integrative national programme to reduce plastic pollution. We can target various groups including traders, artisans, educational institutions, churches, mosques, traditional worshippers, and communities, and ask each group to try and come up with plastic recycling ideas that can be useful to them. I also propose a recognition and reward system, in the form of funding the best ideas and commercializing the best products. This proposal includes instituting a special environmental and recycling award that can be added to the celebration of World Environmental Day, or even Independence Day occasions, or any other commemorative day. If we can sell the recycling idea to the citizenry through religious organizations, schools, traditional authorities, and the broadcast media, we will eliminate plastic pollution in Ghana in no time. This can be achieved through synergistic efforts by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, the EPA, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, tertiary institutions, research institutions, NGOs, CBOs, MMDAs, the Association of Ghana Industries, religious organizations, and traditional authorities.
Finally, I want to assure us that, we can curb plastic pollution in Ghana if we diligently commit to managing plastic waste at both the individual, household, and national levels. Let us come together and find sustainable solutions to this problem and eliminate it from our country. "It is all about promoting environmental conservation by encouraging all of us to stay away from the use of plastic bags and instead look for more eco-friendly alternatives." (www.graphic.com.gh)
References
Goncalves, G. (2023). The threat of plastic pollution in Ghana. Published on 31st May 2023.
https://oneoceanhub.org/the-threat-of-plastic-pollution-in-ghana-africa/
https://mesti.gov.gh/mesti-marks-world-environment-day-wed/
https://www.unep.org/new-plastics-economy-global-commitment
https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/about/theme-host
MESTI (2020). National Plastics Management Policy. Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Republic of Ghana. https://mesti.gov.gh/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Revised-National-Plastics-Management-Policy_-FINAL.pdf
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