Plastics, the paradox of the century, are so useful and at the same time a great pollutant. The introduction of plastics revolutionized the market, challenged traditional materials, and won, taking the place of all others and becoming the sole material for packaging, making it very easy, convenient, and less contaminated. The possibilities of plastics gave hope to the future due to their safe, inexpensiveness, and how humans would shape them into any form.

However, this was shuttered when the hope of the future became the very threat to our existence. The unblemished status of plastics did not survive the test of time. Debris of plastics became the order of the day, polluting our ocean environment, choking biodiversity to death, and increasingly causing environmental problems. Chemical additives during the manufacturing process to make plastics durable, flexible, and fireproof also  increased the potential threat posed by plastics to human health due to the ability of these chemicals to leach into foods and water. The time is now to reconsider the harm caused by plastics and change our course to protect future generations from pollution and save the ecosystem. It is time to collectively unite to beat plastics and secure our future.

Less than 10% of plastics brought into the Country or manufactured are recycled. By 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastics in the ocean than fishes caught by fishermen. Plastic management however also provides an opportunity for us as Ghanaian. There is a potential to create
5 million jobs and bring into our economy GHS 2 billion from plastic waste. We need to use less plastics. From collection, segregation and reforming plastics into other usable materials for construction, aesthetic or decoration purposes, we can beat plastic pollution.

We need to change our attitude of dumping plastic waste indiscriminately and place plastic waste in designated waste containers for collection.

Our leadership must show Political Will

We the citizens must ensure the rule of law takes its course and

Together let’s Beat Plastics and create a better world free from plastic pollution.

Beat Plastic Pollution, Yes, We Can!

 

Dr Eric Twum
Chief Executive Officer (IoEA)