MEST Minister commends Plastic recycling companies for waste management
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), Mr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, on Monday embarked on a two -day tour of the Greater Accra Region, to inspect and ascertain some waste management facilities.
Mr Mohammed is specifically inspecting seven out of the eight selected waste management facilities which applied for support under the Circular Economy Framework for the Plastics Sector (CEF-PS Project).
The minister’s tour aimed to asses operational capacity, growth challenges of these waste management companies to provide financial support to enhance their services and create employment opportunities.
Circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.
The Circular Economy Framework for the Plastics Sector (CEF-PS Project) is a five-year project to support Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) that were operating within the plastics value-chain to build their capacity and scale up their operations in order to strategically position them to attract investment and technical know-how that would make their businesses profitable and help employment.
The seven waste management entities are Universal Plastic Products and Recycling Ltd (Tema Motorway-Borteyman), SESA Recycling Company Limited (Trade Fair), Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECOP)/ Zoomlion (James Town), Nelplast Eco Ghana Ltd. (Katamanso Ashaiman), Maintenance and Sustainability Africa (Madina) City Waste Recycling (Teacher Mante) and Coliba Waste Management Services (Adjen Kotoku).
The sector minister interacted with management of the waste companies discussing their various operational challenges and funding requirements. He additionally inspected the facilities’ equipment, sorting and processing methods and environmental mitigation measures.
Mr Mohammed stated that he was satisfied with the innovative approaches and technologies adopted by some facilities, which would help to improve waste management practices in Ghana.
“I know there might be challenges day in and day out, such as inadequate fund but I can assure you that the government is committed to support the waste management sector to create more jobs, especially for women, the government is going to be gender biased, so the women will be more employed,” he assured, adding that, “kitchen is not their only place.”
He further revealed that the government has allocated funds to support the waste management sectors and the tour was part of the process to identify eligible companies that could benefit from the funding.
This year, we are looking at funding 11 entities in the country but the eight selected are the major ones to benefit greatly because of their impact in the waste management recycling and in the job creation.
“The selected companies will receive financial support to upgrade facilities, acquire new equipment and expand their services which is most importantly expected to create new job opportunities and improve waste management practices in the country,” he added.
The General Manager of Jospong Group’s Green Transition Office operations at (UPPR), Dr Clinn Kwabena Gyima, told the minister that Plastic waste pollution in Ghana was a major environmental challenges with about 840,000tonnes generated annually, as Greater Accra generates 300tonnes of plastic waste daily and 109 tonnes annually while Tema contributes significantly.
Importantly, the Minister of MEST noted that only 10 per cent is recycled, while most end up in landfills and waterways.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NELPLAST, Mr Nelson Boateng, thanked MEST for valuing the work that NELPLAST was doing.
He said, “we make use of the plastics by adding value to it to mold into blocks. And what we do here has generated jobs for the youth.”
BY PRECIOUS NYARKO BOAKYE
