Minister for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI), Dr Kwaku Afriyie, has revealed that his outfit is promoting a preventive approach to plastic management in the country.

Dr Afriyie indicated that the preventive approach to plastic management will serve as a complement to the already incentivised system of managing plastic waste. He explained that the current incentive-based approach does not address the collection of “orphaned plastics” such as bread and banku rubbers.

The minister indicated that most of the models that are being used to ensure plastics are collected in the country are based on financial incentives. Citing an instance, Dr Afriyie opined that once somebody collects the plastics and sends it to be weighed, he is incentivised or paid according to the weight of the plastics. With this, he expressed that the financial perks of the incentivised system does not encourage the collection of most plastics under “20 microns”.

As such, in addressing the situation, Dr Afriyie indicated that the ministry is introducing a preventive model where collectors of plastic waste are incentivised by the absence of plastics being seen in their locality.

“The ministry is promoting the preventive approach to plastic management to complement the current system of incentive based. The ministry is ensuring that rewards are given only when there are no plastics seen in jurisdiction assigned to individuals or groups as compared to the practice of the rewards being based on the quantity of plastics collected.”
Dr Kwaku Afriyie

Addressing plastic waste in the country

Speaking at the ‘Minister’s Press Briefing’ today, May 4, 2022, Dr Afriyie intimated that the environmental protection and building climate resilience which falls in line with the mandate of the ministry has undertaken several initiatives both nationally and internationally to address plastic waste management. He stated that the initiatives were embarked on in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and ministries such as local government, decentralization and rural development, sanitation and water resources and fisheries and aquaculture development.

The initiatives, Dr Afriyie revealed, are based on some concepts which include attaining a “circular economy” where plastics are considered as a resource to the nation. This, he noted, can be achieved by moving away from the linear way of production where things are used once and discarded to a “closed loop system or a circular economy system” where products, right from the onset are designed to ensure circularity.

“Circular economy benefits society, the environment and the economy.”
Dr Kwaku Afriyie

Currently, Dr Afriyie noted that the ministry is engaging private sector companies who are into recycling of plastics to determine their capacities in terms of infrastructure and the appropriate financial models required for the sustainable management of plastics.

“Right now, 500 out of 1,500 reusable bags have been produced and expected to be delivered to selected shopping malls in Accra to reduce the usage of plastic bags under the Ghana-NORAD/BRS project on marine litter and micro plastics.”
Dr Kwaku Afriyie

Describing MESTI as an “offensive midfielder” of Ghana’s economy, Dr Afriyie emphasized that the ministry exists to promote environmental management and the adoption and application of science and technological innovations through formulation of policies.

“We are the thinking arm of a lot of sectors. We have all heard of Planting for Food and Jobs. If you take grain alone, about over 90% of the grains being sown in Ghana comes from the laboratories and fields of CSIR.”
Dr Kwaku Afriyie