By Michael Foli Jackidy
Ho (V/R), Oct. 7, GNA – Government has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting a circular economy as a strategy to increase local production, create jobs, strengthen industry and protect the environment.
Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, said the circular economy was central to the Government’s development agenda because it provided an opportunity to retain the value of materials, reduce waste and create economic opportunities.
The Minister, represented by Dr Peter Dery, Director of Environment at the Ministry, made the remarks at the maiden Ghana Circular Economy Annual Conference 2026 in Ho, organised by the Ghana Circular Economy Centre (GCEC) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with Global Affairs Canada.
She said Ghana needed to make deliberate choices about how it produced, consumed and managed its resources, noting that pollution and premature disposal of useful materials had consequences for livelihoods, health and economic development.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said the circular economy was not merely a slogan but a development strategy that supported the Government’s Resetting Ghana agenda and the 24-Hour Economy by promoting local production, job creation, competitive industry and cleaner communities.
She said Government was taking steps to create the policy and institutional framework for the transition, including the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), which gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a mandate to promote circular economy approaches and extended producer responsibility.
She said the Ministry was also advancing a dedicated Extended Producer Responsibility law, while the establishment of a Sustainability and Circular Economy Unit at the EPA would strengthen institutional support for the agenda.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said the ban on polystyrene products, scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2027, demonstrated Government’s direction and called for businesses to be supported with suitable alternatives, technical guidance and opportunities for local production.
She identified four priorities for advancing the circular economy: bringing science closer to enterprise, making circular businesses investable and their products marketable, ensuring inclusion and promoting responsibility throughout the life cycle of products.
On innovation, she encouraged researchers and businesses to work together to develop and test solutions to Ghana’s environmental and industrial challenges.
She cited research into locally available alternatives to conventional plastics, including cassava, and urged researchers to ensure that such alternatives were rigorously tested for performance, affordability, safety and their impact throughout the product life cycle.
The Minister said circular enterprises also required reliable raw materials, equipment, quality assurance, customers and working capital to move beyond prototypes into sustainable businesses.
She therefore called on financial institutions to engage with circular enterprises and understand their business models, while encouraging entrepreneurs to demonstrate market demand, manage costs effectively, and develop credible business plans.
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said women, young people and informal workers already played important roles in resource recovery, repair and processing across the country and should therefore be at the centre of Ghana’s circular economy transition.
She called for safer working conditions, fair access to markets, practical skills, tools, and opportunities for informal workers to participate in formal circular economy systems.
She also stressed the need to address emerging waste streams, including waste from solar equipment and electric vehicles, while ensuring that recovery processes protected workers, soil and water.
The Minister urged stakeholders to use the conference to identify policy barriers, establish partnerships between researchers and businesses, connect enterprises to technical support, finance and markets, and develop mechanisms to track progress.
“Ghana has the knowledge, creativity and enterprise to build a more resource-efficient economy; what we must strengthen are the connections between them,” she said.
Mr Yanick Noah Agboado, Deputy Director at the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC), speaking on behalf of the Volta Regional Minister, expressed appreciation to Global Affairs Canada, UNIDO and the Ministry for supporting the circular economy project in the region.
He commended Ho Technical University for attracting the project and the conference to the Volta Region, saying technical universities had an important role to play in providing practical solutions to environmental and economic challenges.
Mr Agboado said the Volta Region was well positioned to benefit from the circular economy because of its diverse ecological zones, agricultural resources, fisheries, tourism potential and proximity to the Volta Lake.
He said the region’s production of crops such as cassava and potatoes, alongside tilapia production and its strong culture of craftsmanship and technical skills, provided opportunities for circular economy development.
Mr Agboado said the circular economy should be viewed not only as an environmental intervention but also as an opportunity to create jobs, develop enterprises, support young people and women, strengthen local industries and improve livelihoods.
He said the VRCC was committed to supporting the Ghana Circular Economy projects by encouraging local participation, strengthening collaboration among institutions and communities, and promoting solutions suited to the region’s circumstances.
He called for a shift from the traditional approach of producing, using and disposing of products towards recycling, reuse, repair, recovery and responsible production and consumption.
Mr Agboado expressed confidence that collaboration among Government, academia, development partners, the private sector and local communities would help build a circular economy that was environmentally sustainable, economically productive and socially inclusive.
GNA
Edited By: Maxwell Awumah/Kenneth Odeng Adade