World Environment Day celebrated worldwide on 5th June every year is a day set aside to raise awareness about the importance of the environment and how humanity can collectively protect the environment to sustain life.
It is also a chance to highlight the negative things humanity is doing to destroy the environment and how we collaborate to provide a solution to address the challenges.
In an exclusive interview with Skyy News, the projects coordinator of Friends of the Nations, Mr Solomon Kusi Ampofo noted that, among the numerous causes of environmental pollution, plastics are the most prevalent. Even though there are other causes of environmental pollution like deforestation, throwing waste into water bodies, and unsustainable harvesting of mangroves, the one that appears to be a major challenge is improper disposal of plastic waste.
According to statistics given by Mr Ampofo, 430 million tons of plastics are produced globally which has a socio-economic cost between 400 and 600 million dollars.
In Ghana, he said 1.1 million tons of plastics are produced with two-thirds ending up as waste.
In an appeal to the government, Mr Ampofo stated that there should be legislation to ban the use of plastics and encourage the reuse and recycling of some of the plastic waste.
He said, if the government tightens this legislation it will aid in solving the problem of environmental pollution.
Mr Ampofo further urged the general public to respect and protect the environment for a sustainable life for future generations.
This year’s theme for the World Environment Day Celebration is “Beating plastic pollution.”
