Ghana plastic manufacturers want to legislate use of biodegradable additives

The Ghana Government is being urged to come up with legislation on the use of biodegradable additives to enable plastic manufacturers to use it in the production of flexible plastic products including carrier bags and water sachet. The call was made during the Stakeholders’ Forum organised by the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association (GPMA) to come up and implement a strategic framework and action plan for the adoption of mandatory use of plastic additives in Ghana.

Facilitated by the Society for Managing Initiatives and Leadership Enhancement (SMILE), Ghana, and sponsored by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund, the forum’s theme was “Biodegradable Plastic Technology, An Answer to Plastic Littering in Ghana.”

Richard Odoom, vice president of GPMA called on the government to consider legislation to make it mandatory the use of biodegradable plastic additives. He added that the technology was time-tested and truly trusted in many countries, citing Brazil and Zimbabwe as examples. He also urged for more education on the proper disposal of plastics.

Johnson Oduro, executive director of SMILE, Ghana, said the objective of the forum was to build consensus among stakeholders, identify appropriate legislative measures required for use of biodegradable plastic technology in Ghana and develop timeline for the technology in Ghana.  He hopes for more firm commitment from the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to facilitate the drafting of a legislation that would favour the adoption of biodegradable plastic technology.