The Deputy Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ebenezer Appah-Sampong, has underscored the potential of the National Plastics Management Policy (NPMP) to create jobs in the country.
Youth unemployment has recently dominated media conversations as a major problem of the Ghanaian youth, and the EPA believes that the National Plastics Management Policy is partly an answer to the unemployment problem.
The policy was approved by the cabinet recently to address the country’s pollution concerns.
Mr. Appah-Sarpong in an engagement with the press highlighted the essence of the policy.
“I think they (private sector) have done a fantastic job in turning what we consider as waste into value, and this is exactly what we have been promoting over the years. Going forward it gives us the opportunity to demonstrate, and we hope to upscale this and work with them to promote a circular economy of plastics. We would have to work from the base, particularly how we manage waste.”
Participants of the event including Dophil Roofing Systems which exhibited its work at the program commended the initiative and called for an all-inclusive approach.
The General Manager of Dophil Roofing Systems, Dzifa Hanyabui said: “When we started the collection, at a point we were overwhelmed by the number of plastics we found along the beaches and even in the drains all over. I will say we have sustainable ways of getting raw materials for this product and it is eco-friendly. We all need to play our part.”
