A scene during the cleanup exercise
A number of MTN Ghana staff, in collaboration with Bus Stop Boyz and Mckingtorch Africa, joined forces to clean up the Sakumono beach area in Accra to commemorate the telecommunications’ sustainability week celebrations.
The three entities were divided into groups to handpick waste items, including plastic bottles and sachets, such as water, soda, juice, and single-use sachet water bags. Also, the beach was rid of grocery bags, take‑away wrappers, candy wrappers, Styrofoam containers, torn clothing, rags, and shoe pieces.
Speaking during the ongoing exercise, Sustainability Manager at MTN Ghana, Rhoderlyn Entsua Mensah, stated that the waste collection marked day four of the company’s sustainability week, aimed at recycling the collected waste into usable products.
This initiative, according to Ms. Entsua Mensah, helps to keep plastics, glass, and metals out of the ocean, so marine life is not harmed and the food chain stays safe.
“We are at the beach to recover waste that can be recycled into usable products, which will be done by our partners,” she said.
She further called on Ghanaians to join in periodically by embarking on beach clean-up exercises, noting that cleaning the shores means less disease, safer swimming, and better fishing grounds for food and jobs.
She added that when the beaches are clean, it attracts tourists to the country. “What I will tell the general public is that as much as possible let’s try and live sustainably, by disposing of our waste properly. If we can, we should segregate our waste properly in our homes and offices so that some of it can be recycled.
“This will ensure that everything does not end up in landfills and in our water. I believe that if sustainability becomes personal to you as an individual, it will go a long way to addressing our waste problems,” she said.
Founder of Mckingtorch Africa, Makafui Awuku, bemoaned the level of waste washed ashore from various homes in the city. He applauded the collaboration with MTN, calling on corporate Ghana to increase its commitment to fighting waste in the country.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke