Prof. Michael Ayamga-Adongo, the Deputy Acting Chief Executive Officer in charge of Operations at the Environmental Protection Authority has stated Styrofoam ban won’t be rushed.
He noted that there must be an alternative before the Styrofoam can be banned.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Monday, June 9, Prof. Michael Ayamga-Adongo stated, “I have heard some people say that within two or three years, we should do away with plastics. I am not too keen on giving dates because when you are talking about these things, you are talking about livelihoods and economic systems dependent on this.
“You need to look at the alternatives that are available. How quickly can they be rolled out? How can we ensure that taking away this does not endanger people? Take sachet water for example, if you take them away, you are going to expose some rural areas to unhygienic water because it is a solution somewhere, so when we are withdrawing something, we need to think of what alternatives exist,” he stated.
The EPA comment comes after President John Dramani Mahama stated his government will soon ban the importation and production of Styrofoam plastics (Takeaway packs).
He revealed this part of the government’s move to tackle environmental pollution in Ghana.
According to John Mahama, Styrofoam is one of the most harmful pollutants particularly due to its widespread use in food packaging.
Speaking at an event to mark World Environment Day in Ghana, John Mahama stated, “That is one of the biggest polluters. And so, we’re going to ban the importation of Styrofoam plastics. We have to use paper packaging or aluminium foil for packaging our food. And so, I’m informing the manufacturers and importers of Styrofoam”.
“With the Ministry of Environment, soon we’re going to ban the importation of Styrofoam and production of Styrofoam in Ghana. Our food packaging will be made from paper and also from aluminium material,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ebbo Botwe, the President of the Plastic Manufacturers Association of Ghana has urged John Mahama not to rush in banning the Takeaway pack.
According to him, the move is one that requires proper consultation and deeper understanding of the plastic industry.
Speaking on CITI FM Ebbo Botwe stated, “Let me try to clear up some misconceptions. The styrofoam that you see contains between 4% to 5% maximum plastic. The rest is air. It is basically air”.
It becomes more of an eyesore in terms of impacting the environment. We have a meeting with the Minister for Environment between June 16 and 20.
We really want to give the minister a proper overview of the plastic industry so when the government want to initiate any programmes or any decision, he will be well informed,” he said.
