Green Diversity Foundation, a non-governmental organisation committed to the preservation of the environment, has marked this year’s World Zero Waste Day under the theme Partnership for Sustainable Production and Consumption.
The event saw school children from the Pinoko Educational Complex in attendance.
The students were taken through the basic rudiments of keeping the environment clean while ensuring that they become ambassadors of the environment.
They were also taken through the process of segregating their waste to ensure some waste products were recycled.
Speaking to Citi News on the sidelines of the event, Executive Director for the Foundation, Hobson Agyapong, indicated that the younger generation are the future leaders of the planet, hence the need to engage them side by side on the effects of not protecting the environment and what can be done to protect it.
Hobson Agyapong expressed worry over how the environment is protected in this part of the world and fears the environment will repay us in our coin if we don’t take the pain to protect it.
“My major worry is how we treat the environment as Ghanaians and the lack of proper management of waste. Waste causes pollution and so if we don’t treat them well and allow them to get into the environment without managing them properly it can cause pollution in various forms.
“Many of these wastes are toxic and so they need the much-needed attention. There are a lot of laws in Ghana which can help us improve upon waste management but enforcement of these laws has been the challenge. For instance, beverage-producing companies are required by law to take back the primary packing after they are used and if they cannot do it themselves they just hire others to do it for them, but that is not what we are seeing in our society.”
The Executive Director also noted that although the various district assemblies across the country are doing their best in dealing with the menace, limited resources coupled with the lack of human capacity is preventing them from winning the fight.
The occasion brought together major stakeholders from academia, and civil society organisations among others where deliberations were made to ascertain human activities and their implications on the environment. Stakeholders shared their preferred solutions to solving waste menace challenges.
Chairman of the Advisory Board of the foundation, John Pwamang, indicated that despite Ghana generating a lot of waste yearly, only 9.5 per cent of the waste is recycled, thus calling for more sensitization on recycling.
“Ensuring zero waste will require bold leadership, unwavering commitment a fundamental shift in mindset, and rethinking traditional business models, among others.
“Waste has become a difficult challenge to manage and together we hope to build a world where waste is managed properly.
Executive Director for Volunteers for Victory Network Lady Vera Wiredu, also called for the passage of legislation to cut down single-use plastics and instead promote reusable materials among others.
“It is important to note that as a country we must formulate laws to promote reusable materials. This will help do away with materials that destroy the environment” Lady Vera Wiredu noted while calling on other organisations to champion the course.”
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