Editorial: Ghanaian Flood and the "Plastice Problem"

It is the start of heavy rains as June gives way to July. The perennial havoc of the floods are once again flashing on the front page of Newspaper outlets. The tragic flooding has unearth the underlying problem of waste (“The Plastic Problem) that has cause legislatures to consider an outright ban on plastic products in general. In their defense, the plastic bags are responsible for choking the drainage networks within the city; quit fallacious. The Ghana plastic producers associations are kicking against such a move.

Others place the responsibility on the doorsteps of residents along the water ways who resort to dumping waste in water bodies thereby clogging the channels. What about drains in the corporate districts on the capital, Accra? Who puts the refuse in their drains? I am sure there would be a perfect theory for that too as well but the general theory is that we dump waste carelessly.

Several radio discussion and media panel discussions have covered this topic but none had offered a solution like this article would: Find a small pouch in your attaché case or hand-held bag to collect packages of snacks and food items you consumed throughout your daily routine.  Drop them appropriately at the right disposal bins you find. If possible, take them home where you are sure it would be properly disposed. Simple right?

 

Firstly, We have to take responsibility for the environment we live in. instead of focusing on influencing others to change, influence yourself to do the right thing and just hope others will emulate. If they don't, fine just continue your good work.

Secondly, you can begin to track your spending habits as an individual and know how much waste you generate. This way, you would not frown so much when government begins to tax you. As Ghana becomes a consumer economy (since we import more than we did five years ago) we are bound to see more waste generated.

The World Bank estimated that in 10 years, total waste generated in the sub-Saharan Africa will triple while, currently, only half of waste generated is collected (out of which a few is been recycled). If the DESSAP (District Environment Sanitation and Strategic Action Plan) 2015 of the Adentan Municipal Assembly (AdMA), Accra, is anything to go on, there is a waste collection deficit of 34.62 metric tonnes (m/t) per annum. Over 36.86% of waste not collected spells environmental challenges for a municipal population of 101,868 citizens who generate 85.92 m/t per annum (per capita daily waste generation of 0.6 kg).

Characteristically, the waste volumes have 42.85% Plastics and 23.80% paper while organic waste constitute 10.71%. Though this might not be a fair representation of the situation in Accra, it illustrates the worrying challenge with waste.

Otherwise, we could add economic incentive to waste collection.