Dr Antwi urges market women to advocate campaign against plastic pollution

By Benjamin Akoto

Dumasua, (Bono), June 13, GNA – Dr Mary Antwi, the Head of the Department of Environmental Management of the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) has called on market women to frontline the nation’s campaign against plastic pollution.

She said the adverse effect of plastic pollution was enormous, asking the women traders to remain responsible in the disposal of plastic waste.

Dr Antwi said research showed that women generated between 15 to 95 percent of waste, with the market environment contributing so much of the waste generation.

She made the call when speaking at a sensitization forum at Dumasua in the Sunyani West Municipality of the Bono Region, organized by the Department and attended by market women in the area.

It was in line with a project the Department was implementing on the theme “Sustaining Our Future”, a project being funded by the Global Green grants fund.

The project seeks to promote environmentally responsible practices and help to reduce plastic pollution in local communities.

Dr Antwi urged the market women to opt for and promote the use of reusable containers and other materials instead of plastic, saying “we need to encourage our customers to bring their own baskets or reusable containers when they come to market”.

She said plastic pollution had become ‘ingrained in shopping culture’, saying “nearly every item purchased is wrapped in plastic”, hence the need to intensify awareness creation on the effect of plastic pollution.

Madam Grace Asante, a participant and shop owner commended the organisers for the forum, describing it as an eye opener, calling for attitudinal change in plastic waste disposal.

GNA

Edited by Dennis Peprah/George-Ramsey Benamba