The forum which was organised on Tuesday at the Royal Fiesta hotel in Accra brought together stakeholders from government, the plastic producing industry, waste management service providers, the waste recycling industry, NGOs and academia, among others.

The aim of the forum was to present and discuss a first draft version of a National Plastics Management Policy currently under development by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation.

The National Plastics Management Policy combines a broad spectrum of measures. It calls for environmental education and creation of awareness, turning plastic waste into a resource for value addition, and using sustainable chemistries as a tool for spearheading innovation and economic development.

The sector Minister Prof. Kwabena Frimpong- Boateng in his speech delivered at the forum said, “… this forum which is co-hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and GIZ our partners, present us with the opportunity to discuss thoroughly issues about the sustainable management of plastic wastes looking at trends, emerging issues and best practices from across the world.”

“Indeed, I know that the cross-section of stakeholders gathered here today has rich experiences and contributions that will help the Ministry further work on the draft Plastic Waste Policy that has been developed by the Ministry. We want a policy that is coherent and implementable,” he added.

Plastics play an essential role in our daily lives. It is, however, unfortunately, the terrible disadvantage it besets the environment after its use.

The littering of plastic bags and plastic packaging in our environment is obvious everywhere and its devastating effects are felt every day.

Clogged drains lead to flooding with resulting loss of lives, destruction of property and reduced productivity, as well as the creation of breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rats and other rodents.

Most of the littered plastics end up in the sea, and plastics take hundreds of years to decompose in the ocean.

As a result, sea animals die frequently, as they often mistake pieces of plastic floating in the ocean for food

As part of the collaboration between the Ministry and GIZ, a delegation of Ghanaian decision makers and stakeholders will be offered an opportunity to discuss different strategies for plastic waste management with industry stakeholders during a visit to Germany. The visit that will be organized by GIZ under the partnership between Ghana and the North Rhine-Westphalia.

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By Michael Ogbodu/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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