Producers of bagged water say government’s move towards a ban on the use of light plastics is a step in the right direction.
“As producers we also concerned about the environment and I think we should all work together to make Ghana a cleaner place for us and for the generation to come and for us we welcome the news that plastics…should be banned”, said President of the Sachet Water Producers Association, Magnus Nunoo.
The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology will in two weeks decide whether or not there should be an outright ban on the use of light polyethylene – or plastics up to 30 microns in density.
Stakeholders in the environmental sector have recommended a ban as a means of dealing with the country’s waste problems.
Once implemented, it would be unlawful to sell or import light plastics into the country.
President John Mahama last Saturday hinted of Government’s intention to ban the use of plastics, if manufacturers do not manage the menacing plastic waste problem in the country.
He warned that just like Rwanda, Ghana may ban the use of plastics, if immediate measures were not taken by producers to arrest the situation.
His call came in the wake of various concerns raised from many quarters about the menace that plastic waste caused.
Meanwhile, plastic manufacturers are not enthused by Government’s move.
The acting President of the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association, Nana Adawu XIII, told the Daily Graphic newspaper recently that instead of a knee-jerk approach to the issue of plastic waste, there was the need to approach it holistically, by exploring innovative ways to manage the situation.
Nana Adawu XIII’s view resonates with waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited.
Communications Manager of Zoomlion, Robert Coleman, says Government must reconsider its decision to ban the use of plastics in the country.
He told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Tuesday that a ban on plastics was not the solution to the sanitation problem facing the country.
According to him, there was a need to implement policies that would make the use of plastics unattractive to the public.
He suggested the introduction of high taxes on the importation and manufacturing of plastic products, which would then make it unattractive for people to use plastics.
Mr Coleman also suggested that if all the 216 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDA’s) should employ about 300 people to collect plastic waste daily, 64,800 people would get jobs in the short term.
Additionally, he said, there was the need to establish more recycling plants across the country to recycle the plastics into other useable products such as waste bins, plastic bowls, and even school bags for children.
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