Accra, Nov.30, GNA – Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has cautioned cement manufacturing industries to stick to the use of paper bags for packaging rather than polypropylene.
The use of polypropylene (plastic) could degrade the environment, hence slowing down the Agency’s fight against plastic wastes, he said.
Dr Kokofu said this during a press briefing at the EPA in Accra on Wednesday.
Data by the World Economic Forum indicates that Ghana generates approximately 840,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year and 9.5 per cent of that is collected for recycling.
The production of one tone of polypropylene produces about 3.7 to 7.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide, which supercharged the natural greenhouse effect, hence causing global temperatures to rise.
Dr Kokofu said burning of those polypropylene bags as a form of disposing them off would lead to the discharge of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere, inimical to human health.
“The control of industry use of plastic products, particularly polypropylene bags, are more critical and crucial than ever,” he said.
“The cement manufacturing industry had been known for the usage of paper bags, which are degradable and environmentally friendly.”
He said the EPA would do its best to prevent the use of polypropylene through the means of law and regulations.
Dr Kokofu urged the public, industry players and other stakeholders to ensure that the permitted means of bagging cement was strictly adhered to.
The Agency would collaborate with the Ghana Standard Authority and Ghana Customs Division to ensure that those polypropylenes would be out of the system, he said.
It would also engage industry players in the coming days to make them understand that polypropylene use was against the Agency’s regulations.
GNA