Plastic Waste Management Programme supports waste collectors
The Plastic Waste Management Programme (PWMP) Ghana, in collaboration with the Environmental Services Providers Association, has presented 25 tricycles to the Plastic Waste Collectors Association to facilitate good sanitation in Ghana.
The tricycles, which cost 162,500 Ghana cedis, formed part of the PWMP’s social intervention programme to enable the collectors to effectively collect waste for recycling in Ghana.
Mr Ebbo Botwe, the National Programme Director of Plastic Waste Collectors Association, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that access to finance by the waste collectors had been a major challenge hence the support to facilitate collection of the waste.
He said payment was spread over one and half year period to enable other companies to benefit.
He said the collectors had been collecting over 150 tonnes a day and called for the establishment of a plastic waste recycling fund to enable the recycling companies and the collectors to expand their operations.
Mr Botwe said the recycling companies purchased over GH¢80,000 of plastic daily and had also provided 5,000 jobs for the youth in Ghana.
Mrs Ama Ofori-Antwi, the Executive Secretary of the Environmental Services Providers Association, advised the beneficiaries of the tricycles to put them to good use to enable them to pay back, support themselves and their families.
She said: “We will co-operate with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to ensure that the filth created by plastic waste was brought under control’’.
Mr Thomas Mustapha Ashong, the Presiding Member of the AMA, called for more commitment from the stakeholders since the Assembly alone could not effectively manage waste in Accra.
He blamed the negative attitudes of people towards sanitation and waste management leading to Cholera outbreak and flooding in some part of the Metropolis.
Mr Elvis Oppong, the Chairman of the Plastic Waste Collectors Association, expressed gratitude to the Environmental Services Providers Association, AMA, the Plastic Waste Management Programme and the Government for the kind gesture.
Source: GNA