Accra, June 5, GNA – The government has urged individuals and institutions to ensure safe disposal of plastic waste as their contribution to local and global effort to addressing plastic pollution.
They are also encouraged to reject the usage of single use as a new path to a cleaner, healthier, and sustainable environment for both current and next generation.
The call was contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations Directorate of the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation to mark this year’s World Environment Day (WED).
This year’s celebration, which marks the 50th anniversary, is under the global theme, “Solutions to Plastic Pollution.”
The objective of the celebration is to create regular public awareness and education on emerging environmental issues.
It serves as a platform to amplify and engage people, communities, and governments around the world, and stimulates action on critical environmental challenges facing the planet.
The statement called for a collaboration between the government and other stakeholders to effectively provide long-lasting solutions to combat health and environmental threats posed by plastic pollution.
“The major problem confronting Ghana is the collection of single-use plastics or the under 20 microns plastics termed as the orphan plastics, and the improper disposal of such plastics,” it said.
It said that the government in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency and other key stakeholders would undertake projects for edible and compostable packaging as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics.
The statement said, the government would engage and assign public and private collectors to collect and store plastic wastes, promote domestic recycling, educate the public on proper waste disposal and segregation practices.
It called on the public to undertake clean-up exercises and adopt measures to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover waste.
GNA