If You Can't Refuse it Reuse It!!!

If You Can't Refuse it Reuse It!!!

Plastic is a material used in the manufacturing of products. It is regularly produced from polymers and numerous chemicals. Over the years, plastics have been the favourite of many industries in making items such as; clothing, eyeglasses, shopping bags, toothbrushes, water bottles, electronics, dishes, utensils, toys, and packing. On the other hand, the improper disposal of plastic causes pollutions of land, water and even air.

This year’s World Environment Day happened on thursday, 5th July, 2018. The theme of the celebration was 'Beating Plastic Pollution'.
In Ghana, a flashback on the effects of plastic pollution vindicates the need for prompt actions to curb it. Many activists have demonstrated their strategies to save Ghana from plastic pollution. Fishermen and Civil Society Groups at James Town, a fishing community in Accra called for more action to tackle the problem of plastic pollution a month ago upon realizing its threat to their existence and business.

Furthermore, a recent survey by the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) highlighted that Ghana stands to gain GHS 1.2 billion every year if plastics are to go through the process of collection, sorting and resale to user agencies.

These thoughtful ways to control plastics have not been effectively rationalized for years due to the absence of a clear policy on controlling plastic pollution in Ghana. On this note, Ghanaians need to contol or extinguish their patronage of single-use plastics.
 Single-use plastics basically refer to plastics that are used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Globally, it is estimated that around 50% of plastic is used just once and thrown away.
In Ghana, some common examples of single-use plastics include; plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, water bottles and most fast food packagings.

Research indicates that it takes about 15 to 1000 years for plastics to breakdown depending on the environment. However, we prioritize using them because they are less costly and very versatile with properties that make them ideal for many uses.

Conversely, these properties have also resulted in plastics becoming an environmental issue.  As citizens of mother Ghana, it is high time we answered the call of using alternatives to single-use plastics while government develops a policy to guide the management of plastics.

To successfully undertake this task, we need to upgrade to an eco-friendlier lifestyle. We have to switch from the use of petroleum-derived plastic straws to reusable natural bamboo or cotton straws. We need to adapt to using bamboo or cotton straws since they are compostable and can be used to drink hot or cold liquids. It's time for us to seriously consider using glass or steel water bottles or travel mugs in drinking water or coffee. We should take up with using steel spoons and not plastic spoons or food packs since there is little or no evidence of a cancerous side effect.

Let us stop littering our environment and encourage the practice of the above alternatives to single-use plastics in our homes, restaurants, schools, offices and wherever we find ourselves in and around Ghana.
Long live Ghana, long live the health of its citizens.

By: Obeng Derrick Akuoko
Email: daobeng2012@uhas.edu.gh