By Elizabeth PUNSU
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a clarion call for urgent and collective action against the growing menace of plastic pollution.
The agency is urging individuals, institutions and businesses to rethink their relationship with plastic and take decisive steps to curb its misuse.
This call came during a durbar organised by AngloGold Ashanti, Underground Mining Alliance (UMA), Obuasi West and Obuasi Municipalities and other partners in Obuasi, following a week-long series of activities to mark this year’s World Environment Day.
Speaking at the durbar, Obuasi Municipal Director-EPA, Prempeh Adarkwah Yiadom, stressed that the misuse of plastics – particularly single-use plastics – is causing severe environmental harm.
His call comes after recent devastating flooding experiences in major cities of the country – including Accra, Kumasi and Obuasi – following hours of torrential rain. This recurring issue during the rainy season has largely been attributed to indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste which often ends up choking gutters.
He described the situation as alarming and emphasised the relevance of this year’s global theme, ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’, alongside Ghana’s national call to ‘Repurpose Plastic Use’.
These, he said, are powerful reminders of collective responsibility to protect the environment.
“Plastic pollution is not just an eyesore, it is a serious ecological threat,” he warned. “Every year, over 400 million tonnes of plastic are produced globally – with nearly half designed for single use. Here in Obuasi and across Ghana, plastic pollution clogs our drains, contaminates our soil and threatens our water-bodies,” he stressed.
Mr. Yiadom however clarified that plastic itself is not the problem. Rather, it is how people misuse and dispose of it. He urged the public to recycle, innovate and extend the life cycle of plastic instead of discarding it after a single use.
He pledged the EPA’s commitment to intensify public education and enforcement against illegal dumping, while promoting circular economy models to reduce dependence on plastic.
He also called on Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to strictly enforce local by-laws on waste management.
The EPA Director further appealed for businesses to adopt eco-friendly packaging and encouraged traditional leaders and the youth to revive communal clean-up efforts to maintain a clean Obuasi.
“The fight against plastic pollution is not for the EPA, AngloGold Ashanti or the Municipal Assembly alone. It is for all of us. Let us be the generation that provides the solution to plastic pollution – before it overwhelms us,” Mr. Yiadom appealed.
In a speech read on behalf of Senior Manager for Environment, AngloGold Ashanti, George Owusu Ansah, the dangers plastic waste poses to citizens was underscored.
“We must not treat this as mere statistics but as evidence of the consequences from how we’ve handled plastic waste over the years. The widespread use of single-use plastic results in enormous waste, much of which ends up in landfills and gutters,” he said.
Mr. Owusu Ansah noted that government has introduced initiatives to rethink, repurpose and reduce the negative impacts of plastic use. He also reaffirmed AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
“At AngloGold Ashanti, we have always been committed to environmental stewardship. We align ourselves with global efforts to end plastic pollution,” he said.
At the durbar’s close, Apagya Senior High School and Owusu Sampah Basic School were awarded for their outstanding performance in the schools’ debate and waste segregation challenge respectively.
