Public reminded to change attitude to waste disposal

Accra, Nov. 11, GNA - Mr Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, on Friday called for a rapid attitudinal change to waste disposal.

"We cannot afford to continue littering and expect others to do the collection," he said.

"Let us use the litter bins provided and where they do not exist, let's fold and carry our plastic bags for proper disposal at proper places."

Mr Osei-Ameyaw said this when he launched a pilot educational campaign on plastic waste disposal for Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro in Accra.

The Deputy Minister said the price paid for not doing the right thing was very heavy and identified some of them as malaria, cholera and foul air.

The pilot project, which is to find solutions to plastic waste problems, would be replicated in Lome and Niamey. The West Africa Regional Programme under USAID and Enterprisework, a non-governmental organisation, are funding the two-week project. Mr Osei-Ameyaw said it was incumbent on all to ensure that the future generations inherited a clean environment. He noted that following efforts of various organizations and agencies on plastic waste, the country "had made steady, albeit slow, progress in managing its waste especially plastics". He recalled the achievement of the Plastic Waste Management Taskforce for organizing plastic waste collection exercise countrywide saying gradually the public was being sensitised on the management of plastic waste. He further commended the taskforce for mobilizing 500 million cedis to collect more than 700 tonnes of plastic waste, most of which were exported.

"We can do better if all hands are brought on deck." Mr Astu Titiati, Country Director, Enterpriseworks, said his outfit had conducted research into proper management of plastic waste and had identified public education as one of the ways of managing the waste. He said recycling could be another alternative saying Ghana could recycle plastic waste and transform them into pavement blocks. He said his NGO had voted 100 million cedis to commence public education, mounting of billboards, posters and organising theatre forums.