By Albert Oppong-Ansah
Accra, May 28, GNA – The Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECoP) and Nelplast Ghana Limited have signed a cooperation agreement to formalise the supply of single-use plastic waste, particularly plastic sachets, for use in construction.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday in Accra, marks a major step in Ghana’s efforts to scale up plastic waste recycling under the Sustainability Community-Based Zero Plastic Waste Project, a two-year initiative funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
The agreement mandates IRECoP to recover and supply sorted plastic sachets, including water sachet wrappers, carrier bags, and other film plastics to Nelplast, which will process the materials into plastic-sand bricks for use in construction projects such as walkways, classrooms, and low-cost housing.
At the signing ceremony in Accra, Madam Betty Brown Nyadu, the General Manager of IRECoP, said the partnership formalised an existing collaboration and ensured a steady flow of high-quality plastic waste for construction innovation.
“This agreement will guarantee that plastics, which would otherwise end up in drains or landfills, are given a second life in the form of durable, environmentally friendly building materials,” she said.
Mr Nelson Boateng, the Chief Executive Officer of Nelplast, described the partnership as a timely move that would help his company scale up production and reduce the environmental burden of plastic waste in urban areas.
“Having a consistent supply of clean, sorted plastic sachets allows us to increase output and meet rising demand for sustainable construction materials across the country,” he said.
He noted that one classroom block could be constructed using approximately 13,000 plastic sachets, demonstrating the potential of waste-to-resource solutions to address both environmental and infrastructure challenges.
Dr Glenn K. Gyimah, the Project Coordinator, Sustainability Community-Based Zero Plastic Waste (SCZWP), said plastic waste pollution in Ghana was a major environmental challenge, with about 840,000 tonnes generated annually.
Plastic pollution, he noted, contributed significantly to carbon emissions at all stages of its lifecycle, from production to disposal, making it a major contributor to climate change.
The high generation of plastic waste in urban cities and their low degradability makes them occupy a lot of space when landfilled.
Dr Gyimah said burning plastics introduced harmful compounds like carbon dioxide, methane and particulate matter into the air, leading to respiratory diseases.
The SCZWP initiative aims to recover up to 90 per cent of single-use plastic waste from mixed waste streams by 2030.
The project will create green jobs, support community-based waste collection systems, and promote plastic circularity in line with Ghana’s National Plastic Action Partnership.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe