Plastic products, such as empty water bottles, continue to be a major source of pollution and flooding in Accra.
In an exclusive interview with The Ghanaian Times, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations, stated that plastic waste was one of the most serious environmental problems the country is facing.
This is more than a nuisance. It’s a public health hazard that continues to have a negative effect on livelihood.
Dr Afryie explained that the government and some corporate organizations have distributed tricycles in order to collect and recycle plastic waste within the capital.
He stated that the informal sector is a key part of the recycling process, especially for plastic waste.
He stated that the ministry aims to increase collection and recycling plastic waste through policy interventions, such as providing incentives for producers to consider environmental considerations when designing products to minimize waste generation. This obligates producers to bear the economic burden of managing any potential adverse environmental effects of their products through collection recycling or final disposal.
Dr Afriyie stated that the initiative would allow for the integration of informal sector players. This could lead to better waste handling and recycling technologies within this informal sector, in compliance to formal regulations and standards. It could also increase recycling rates and reduce environmental leaking, thus contributing to a cleaner environment.
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He warned citizens against improper disposal of plastic waste. This was a major cause for flooding in the country.
President of the Pure Water Waste Collectors Association Mr Elvis Oppong stated that informal waste recycling was often done by urban poor and marginalised groups who saw collecting waste as a way to make a living and provide income.
He stated that the plastic scavengers’ activity was characterised in unsafe, unhealthy work conditions and low irregular incomes.
Mr Oppong stated, “Whether they are operating through door-to-door mechanisms or sorting waste at collection point, informal waste workers play key roles in recovering plastic products, recycling and preventing plastic waste from our communities.”
He called for greater collaboration between the government and the corporate sector in plastic waste management.
Abdul Fatawu, a collector of plastic waste at Agbogbloshie called on the government for gloves and other protective tools to help them in their work.
