Ghana Youth Movement (GYEM), has organised a programme to educate the public on plastic management, their proper disposal, recycling and called for strict measures to end single-use plastics.

Single-use plastics are those that can be used only ones, and include; polythene bags, plastic cotton buds, Styrofoam, coffee cups, and plastic straws.

Mr Samuel Boadi Duah, the Campaign’s lead of GYEM, addressing the public said plastic pollution was causing harm to the environment and health, and an immediate stand ought to be taken to avoid the use of single- plastics.

‘These plastics are creating filthy environments, causing the spread of mosquitoes and houseflies resulting to cholera and malaria in society,’ he said.

Mr Buah who was speaking at a sensitisation and clean-up campaign exercise to create public awareness, noted that, government imposing tax on plastics was not the appropriate step towards solving the plastic pollution problem, because end-users would still purchase them for their businesses.

Mr Du
ah said rather, there was the need to educate end-users about the long-term negative effects of using single-use plastics in their daily lives and on the environment.

He urged the public to embrace the new culture of utilising other re-useable materials such as cane baskets, reusable bags, wooden cotton bags, reusable cups and ceramics to avoid the menace of scattered plastics on the planet.

Market women were taught how to make re-usable bags from old fabrics and clothes to serve as market shopping bags.

These alternatives would help avoid improper disposal of rubbish, reduce expenditure on sanitation and health, which would result in protected environment, beaches, and communities.

‘When our beaches are clean it would attract tourists to the country and generate revenue for us,’ he said.

He called on all stakeholders, government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), members of parliament, and private industries to support this initiative.

Source: Ghana News Agency