Plastic waste collectors calls for waste policy

Mr Godwin Kofi Woasey, Chairman of the Plastic Waste Collectors Association of Ghana (PLAWAG), has called on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to focus and invest more in the recycling of plastic waste.

He also urged the Ministry to promulgate a national waste separation policy to boost the businesses of the PLAWAG to create more jobs.

Mr Woasey made the call in an interview with Ghana News Agency during the visit of the Minister of Science and Environment, Dr Joe Oteng Adjei to some recycling companies in Accra.

He said when the waste separation policy is implemented it would promote recycling of plastic waste as well as composting of organic waste to reduce the burden on the dumping and landfill sites.

He said waste management has been a challenged by many factors including the non-separation of waste.

This Mr Woasey said is increasing the volume of waste that reaches the dumping and landfill sites.

“The Association referred to the fact that the cost of recycling triples when waste is not separated.

“Some recycling companies give excuses that the waste is dirty for them to buy it at a cheaper price and this had been a real disadvantage to us,”, he said.

Mr Woasey said the Association had noted that enforcement of bye-laws relating to sanitation and waste management is paramount, hence the need for the Ministry to put in place the necessary legislative framework to guide effective waste collection.

Mr Ebo Botwe, Chairman of the Accra Plastic Waste Management Project, also in the Minister’s entourage gave the assurance that he would ensure that waste collectors supply the recycling companies with enough plastic waste to enable them operate effectively.

Some of the recycling companies Dr Joe Oteng Adjei visited included Environplast and Zidanco Plastic processing enterprises.

Source: GNA