By Dennis Peprah
Sunyani (Bono Region), Aug. 25, GNA – Mrs Medina Doku, Bono Regional Environmental Health Officer, has welcomed with excitement and optimism the nationwide ban on the production, importation, distribution, sale and use of polystyrene foam products, popularly known as Styrofoam or takeaway packs.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) announced that the ban would take effect from January 1, 2026, as part of efforts to address plastic pollution and improve environmental sanitation.
Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a disinfection exercise in the Sunyani Municipality, Mrs Doku described the ban as a bold and timely intervention that would significantly contribute to environmental cleanliness and public health.
She regretted that plastic waste had caused more harm than good to the nation and called on the public to support the implementation of the directive.
The Bono Regional Office of Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL), in collaboration with the region’s 12 Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs), is undertaking the disinfection exercise.
As part of the exercise, personnel of the company disinfected public toilets, marketplaces, lorry terminals and major drains within the municipality.
Mrs Doku noted that, apart from contributing to flooding, discarded plastic materials often trapped stagnant water and created breeding grounds for mosquitoes, thereby facilitating the spread of malaria and other infectious diseases.
She observed that plastic waste constituted a significant proportion of the nation’s solid waste stream and said the ban would help reduce environmental degradation and promote sustainable waste management practices.
Mrs Doku emphasised that indiscriminate dumping of refuse and plastic waste remained a serious environmental offence punishable by law and urged the public to desist from such practices.
She warned that offenders would be prosecuted and appealed to traditional authorities, political leaders and other opinion leaders not to interfere with the enforcement of environmental sanitation regulations.
Earlier, Mr Franklin Ofori Akuffo, Bono Regional Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, told the media that the disinfection exercise was conducted quarterly as part of efforts to improve sanitation and protect public health.
He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting effective waste management and environmental sanitation across the region and appealed for public cooperation to ensure the success of the exercise.
Mr Akuffo noted that waste management and environmental cleanliness were collective responsibilities and advised residents to avoid littering and the indiscriminate disposal of refuse and plastic waste.
GNA
Edited by Lydia Kukua Asamoah
By Dennis Peprah
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