![\"plastics](\"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/plastics-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Minister of Science, Environment, Technology and Innovation, Mahama Ayariga has announced a ban on the manufacturing and sale of light plastics.<\/p>\n
He also announced that a ban had been placed on non-biodegradable plastics adding that both bans would take effect from November 1.<\/p>\n
[contextly_sidebar id=”1EKzMXFbuBSdD1cuWeJFBbovrwVluNJY”]According to the Minister, who was speaking at a\u00a0capacity building workshop for the media on Green Economy, the plastics produced in Ghana from now on must be at least \u00a020 microns thick.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have placed a ban on up to 20 microns, nobody can manufacture plastic products below 20 microns. The microns are the test of the thickness of plastics,\u201d Mahama Ayariga is quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
President Mahama announced in June that the government was considering banning plastics as had been done in some other African countries including Rwanda.<\/p>\n
His comments came on the back of concerns raised about how plastic waste was aggravating the country’s current sanitation woes.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mr. Ayariga reiterated the President’s call in an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show<\/strong> but clarified that government would only consider a ban if there was no improvement in the management of plastic waste.<\/p>\n He added that plastic manufacturing companies would have to put biodegradable material in their products “so that the plastic that would be produced would be biodegradable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou see the ones that they put Gari (kulikuli), those products – the plain, transparent ones – you see that they are so light and when the wind blows they float, it\u2019s because they have very low microns and they are so light so managing it is so difficult so we need to increase the micron level,\u201dAyariga added.<\/p>\n The recycling companies are against the ban, arguing that the industry will be greatly affected by such a move.<\/p>\n They say more efforts should be put into funding their operations in order to effectively manage the plastic waste situation in the country.<\/p>\n Their call has been backed by the plastic manufacturing companies who say a ban would affect the jobs of many Ghanaians.<\/p>\n –<\/p>\n By: Edwin Kwakofi\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Minister of Science, Environment, Technology and Innovation, Mahama Ayariga has announced a ban on the manufacturing and sale of light plastics. He also announced that a ban had been placed on non-biodegradable plastics adding that both bans would take effect from November 1. [contextly_sidebar id=”1EKzMXFbuBSdD1cuWeJFBbovrwVluNJY”]According to the Minister, who was speaking at a\u00a0capacity building […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":139297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[43,38],"yoast_head":"\n