Cynthia Asare Bediako
Details about the state of plastic pollution in the country are worrisome especially, since it appears we are paying lip-service to the subject.
According to the Chief Director of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Cynthia Asare Bediako, Ghana generates 0.84 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually by all standards, a massive quantity.
Of the annually generated plastic wastes, 10 percent are recycled and 9 percent leaking into the ocean. A substantial quantity remains in the soil and others forming part of the physical features of both urban and rural settings.
The negative effects of the plastics which find their way into the ocean can only be conjectured. Some would be ingested by marine life, the consequences of which are too glaring. A shark was once found dead and its digestive track contained a large quantity of plastics which obviously originated from terra firma.
One of the traditional heads in Tamale once lamented about how plastic wastes were leading to fatalities among free-range livestock in the municipality.
Unfortunately, plastic pollution is hardly a subject in the plate of national issues.
During a discussion about the subject a few years ago, one of the suggestions was that a future consideration should be given to the inclusion of an element in plastic manufacturing to make it biodegradable.
The suggestion ended in the conference unable to reach the desks of policymakers let alone implementation.
At a time when paper bags were used in departmental stores across the country in the 60s, this level of pollution was never envisaged.
Today, the eyesore of plastic pollution is widespread, not limited to urban centres. So widespread is the trend that even porridge or koko sellers use polythene bags to sell their products. Consumers will most likely drop these products into the nearest gutters launching them for their long journey to the Atlantic Ocean. In areas outside the coast, the plastics end up in the soil where they would remain for decades since they are not biodegradable, their effect on the soil and crop production too obvious to be discussed.
The path of some countries such as in East Africa should be treaded by us if we are to overcome the effects of plastic pollution in this country.
Plastics are so cheap that they are used for countless number of things in our urban and rural settings. Stopping their use demands concerted efforts involving policymakers and consumers. A relevant policy direction would be needed to stem the tide of plastic pollution in the country and should involve both law enforcement and the education of the consumers to understand the subject at stake.