We will ban importation, production of styrofoam in Ghana — President Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has revealed that Ghana will soon ban the importation and production of styrofoam food containers as part of sweeping reforms to combat plastic pollution and promote environmental sustainability.

Speaking at the 2025 World Environment Day celebration held at Kwabenya Community Day School on Thursday, June 5, the President said the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology is preparing to implement the ban in the coming months.

“We will ban the importation and production of styrofoam in Ghana. Food packaging will shift to paper or aluminium foil,” Mr Mahama announced.

“I'm informing manufacturers and importers to prepare for this change, as the Ministry of Environment will soon enforce this policy.”

The measure is expected to impact food vendors, importers, and packaging companies that rely on styrofoam due to its low cost, but Mr Mahama said the environmental cost is too high to ignore.

“Plastics are clogging our gutters and waterways, littering our beaches, polluting our farmlands, and choking our urban streams,” he warned.

He cited projections that, without drastic action, plastics could outnumber fish in the ocean by 2050.

Environmental advocates have long pushed for a ban, calling styrofoam a major threat to human health, marine life, and drainage systems due to its non-biodegradable nature.

The President outlined a number of national policies already in motion to address Ghana’s growing plastic problem. These include the National Plastics Management Policy, which mandates producers to take full responsibility for plastic waste, and a revised Solid Waste Management Strategy targeting a 60% reduction in landfill plastic by 2030.

City authorities in Tamale and Takoradi, he said, are already piloting waste separation schemes with colour-coded bins to improve recycling rates.

“Entrepreneurs are converting used plastics into building materials, textiles, and fuel briquettes,” Mr Mahama noted. “The dustbins presented here today, made from recycled plastic, are evidence of this innovation.”

The styrofoam ban follows another recent directive by the government to phase out wooden school desks in favour of recycled plastic or metal, a move aimed at reducing deforestation.

At the same event, Mr Mahama launched the "One Tree Per Child" initiative to instil environmental responsibility among young people.

Each student will receive a seedling to plant and care for, with guidance from teachers and local forestry officers. The goal is to plant millions of trees by 2030 while fostering a deeper connection between youth and the environment.

“To every Ghanaian, I issue a simple challenge: pledge not to litter, to reduce plastic use, and to plant and care for at least one tree,” the President urged.

“Let us refuse single-use plastics, sort waste at home, adopt sustainable alternatives, and teach our children by example that a clean, green Ghana is not only possible but necessary.”