Ghana Can Generate More Income From Recycled Waste ―UNDP

Ghana Can Generate More Income From Recycled Waste

―UNDP

Ghana’s capacity to generate income from waste materials is one that should not be underestimated as it has been revealed that over GH¢83 billion can be pooled in annually through recycled waste product.

According to the United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP), the country is estimated to generate 30,000 tonnes of solid waste daily and 86 per cent of the wastes are recoverable through recycling.

The forum which brought together over 100 stakeholders from the waste management sector, government institutions and agencies, as well as development partners, was aimed at stimulating partnerships to accelerate the delivery of tangible solutions for plastic management in Ghana.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Dr. Dzidzo Yirenya-Tawiah, lecturer at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana, urged Ghanaians to avoid single use plastics.

This she said would help reduce the menace of the plastics on the environment.

Dr. Yirenya-Tawiah recalled how years back, women went to the markets with baskets and had their items wrapped in anything but a polythene bag. “We must go back to that time,” she said.

Mr. Desmond Appiah, Chief Sustainability and Resilience at Accra Metropolitan Assembly (A.M.A) in his remarks stated that, the Assembly is committed to ensure the success of UNDP, which clearly contributes to the policies and plans, like the National Plastics Management Policy currently being developed.

According to him, as part of the effort to cut off waste materials in the country, the AMA has established Sanitation Court to deal with people who throws waste products indiscriminately.

He said the A.M.A has provided waste bins on the streets of Accra and therefore encourage all and sundry to make good use of the facilities.

“We now have new by-laws with more penalty points for people who are caught dumping indiscriminately and those who do not obey the by-laws. For example, now if you are caught littering about, the fine is GH¢1, 200,”he added.

To avoid open defecation and the dangers that come with it, Mr. Appiah advised all households to own toilet facilities and to also register with the accredited solid waste company for fecal waste to be collected and disposed sanitarily.

The stakeholder engagement is being funded under a Country Investment Facility of the UNDP to promote innovation and the use ossf technology in tackling waste.

The participants were drawn from governmental bodies like the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) and the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

Private sector Stakeholders present were the Department for International Development (DFID), Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises (GRIPE), Environmental Service Protection Agency (ESPA) and representatives from the University of Ghana.

Story by: Bright Boadi from Hot fm, Accra

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