Promote less use of polythene bags to save environment – Vice Chancellor

Professor Esi Awuah, Vice-Chancellor (VC), University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani, says tackling the plastic waste nuisance should be made a top national priority.

She cautioned that the growing waste generated from plastics, if not properly managed, could pose problems for the country’s development.

This comes as the streets, drains and gutters continue to be littered and choked with non-degradable plastic materials.

She said more effort should be put in to promote less use of polythene bags to save the environment, prevent floods and stop creating conditions for mosquitoes to breed.

Prof Awuah, who was addressing the 24th Mole Conference, held under the theme: “Building effective partnership for scaling up sustainable sanitation services in Ghana”, at Fumesua near Kumasi, said the government and district assemblies should give serious attention to the recycling of plastic waste.

If that would mean asking the people to pay, so be it, she added.

The meeting is organised annually by the coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Water and Sanitation Sector (CONIWAS) to provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss ways of making things better in the sector.

The Vice Chancellor said Ghanaians would need to go back to the past where baskets and paper bags were used for shopping and food vendors wrapped food in leaves.

Mr Ibrahim Musah, Head of Policy and Partnership, WaterAid Ghana (WAG), urged the assemblies to rigidly enforce their environmental sanitation bye-laws.

Source: GNA