Plastic Punch Ghana presents at World Ocean Sciences meeting

The Co-founder and President of Plastic Punch Ghana, Richmond Kennedy ‘Legacy’ Quarcoo, has been selected among scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and other ocean science experts to present at this year’s virtual Ocean Sciences Fall Meeting.

Mr. Quarcoo will be making a presentation on an ongoing Plastic Punch research project: “Plastic Punch: Innovative Ways to Stimulate Societal Engagement in Marine Pollution”.

An abstract on the topic co-authored by Plastic Punch’s Dr. Paige Martin at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and Dr. Madeline Foster-Martinez at the University of California, Berkeley was selected by the Ocean Sciences Meeting to be presented at the virtual conference to be hosted from San Francisco.

Mr. Quarcoo will be on a panel featuring scientists and experts from across the world working within the marine and coastal sustainability sector to discuss best practices and models deployed by Plastic Punch in its work in Ghana.

In an interview, Mr. Quarcoo, who is an engager on the SDG Academy Ocean MOOC, reiterated that “the oral presentation we have been granted in a large meeting such as this, is indicative of the great interest of the global scientific ocean community in the work of Plastic Punch in combating plastic pollution.”

He added that “not only will this meeting highlight the important work that Plastic Punch is doing in Ghana, but it will also place Ghana on the radar as far as the coastal sustainability work is concerned.

The Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) is one of the largest international conferences on ocean sciences, bringing together scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, science communicators, policymakers, and other ocean-related experts around the globe.

The first fully virtual format meeting at the event by the American Geophysical Union is expected to bring together more than 23,000 individuals from 113 countries from 1-17 December to the #AGU20 Fall Meeting. Featured meeting content will be held on 1-17 December 2020, with additional content scheduled to best meet the needs of international attendees around the world.

Mr. Quarcoo expressed optimism about Plastic Punch’s participation in this year’s Ocean Meeting.

“I am confident the meeting will open opportunities for learning and collaborations with marine scientists, experts, and researchers around the globe to further Plastic Punch efforts in improving ocean health and marine conservation in Ghana and beyond.”

Richmond Quarcoo is a Merchant Navy Officer by training and profession, and also a media expert who has done previous academic research on the menace of plastic pollution and its effects on the marine ecosystem as well as trying to exploit its viability as a raw material at the Regional Maritime University.

About Plastic Punch

Plastic Punch is an NGO that was created in January 2018 by a multicultural team of professionals from Ghana, France, and Spain, who are passionate about the environment.

The organization was created in response to a turtle monitoring session during which the team discovered six dead turtles on the plastic-infested beach of New Ningo, 15 km beyond Tema.

The mission of Plastic Punch is to raise awareness on the dangers of plastics to the environment, marine life, and humans, as well as finding and providing sustainable waste management solutions for Ghana and beyond.

To these ends, the team at Plastic Punch engages in a variety of activities that reduce plastic waste and educates the public about the dangers of plastic and the importance of sustainable practices.

Such awareness tools include plastic-free beach clean-ups on turtle nesting beaches, citizen science, plogging, up-cycling workshops, sea turtle conservation, and mass media tools like drama, theatre, videos, music, and games for community engagement.