By Patrick Ofoe Nudzi
Accra, Nov. 23, GNA – Environmental advocates and climate researchers have raised concerns of the volumes of single-use plastics that have ‘submerged’ the country and are hurting water bodies and lives.
They said the deafening silence from members of the society on the call for banning single-use plastics was worrying as the State struggled to find a lasting solution to the plastic menace.
Miss Rosalyn Ocran, Financial Officer, Ghana Youth and Environmental Movement (GYEM), said this at beach cleanup exercise organised at the Laboma Beach, Accra, by the Movement.
The exercise is part of GYEM’s campaign for ban on single-use plastics and it was also to create awareness of the harmful impacts of plastic pollution on the beaches and marine life.
Miss Ocran said the citizens had failed to live by sanitation guidelines, properly dispose of plastics after use, the assemblies and State seemed to have lost focus and grips on how to tackle the plastic menace.
She said whilst the arable lands and environment had been engulfed with filth and plastics, the sea and other water bodies had been ‘pregnant’ with plastics and debris which threaten aquatic life.
“The filth and plastics at this beach going and coming out of the sea are frightening. Single-use plastics, including styrofoam, disposable cups, disposable cutlery and debris are from the Kpeshie Lagoon into the sea. This is unacceptable. Government must ban the single-use plastics,” Miss Ocran said.
She said the beaches were supposed to be recreational and health arenas where people come to have fun, ease down stress and rejuvenate their physical and mental health.
However, the beach is filthy and is feeding the fishes with plastics.
“We call on the government to ban those single-use plastics, give incentives to companies producing paper bags, bags made from raffia, canes and water leaves amongst others. It is just a few people that are calling for the ban. There is no support from the citizens themselves that we are advocating for,” Miss Ocran said.
Nii Armah Quarcoo Tagoe, a beach cleanup volunteer and climate change activist, said the whole plastic menace had been an attitudinal problem, adding that the disposal of teeth brushes, sachet rubbers, polythene bags and bottles in water bodies were partly because law enforcement seemed not to be effective.
“We need to change our attitude and our law enforcement agencies have a lot of work to do. We should have regulations for our beaches. Government together with the Assemblies can set up a sanitation fund to promote beach cleanups but a ban on single-use plastics is the way to go,” he said.
Mr Blaise Ohene Fegor Bethel, a volunteer with GYEM, called for innovative ways of using large net across the Kpeshie Lagoon to trap the plastics so that sorting and collecting the plastics would be easier.
GNA