GAYO partner GAIA, LADMA, HRRG to launch anti-incineration & plastic pollution campaign

The Green Africa Youth Organization (GAYO) through the support of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly (LADMA), the Bola Taxi and Tricycle Association (BTTA), the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG) and All African Student Union has launched an initiative aimed at helping address the devastating effects of air and plastic pollution in Ghana.

The initiative dubbed: “the Anti-Incineration and Plastic Pollution Campaign” (AIPPC) seeks to help reduce over-saturated atmospheric conditions with a controlled mechanism of an incinerator burning in a bid to help combat plastic pollution in the country.

At the launch organized by GAYO and partners on Friday April 14, 2023 held at the La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly brought together like-minded personalities, stakeholders and top experts in the field who were engaged on discussions focused on critical issues pertaining to incineration and plastic pollution in the country as well as the opportunities and actions to be taken towards ensuring environmental protection.   Speaking at the launch, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly Director of Waste Management, Engineer Solomon Adjei reveals that burning waste can cause impotency in men. He warned that there will be dire consequences for the development of the country if care is not taken and the government fails to heed the advice on effecting a ban on the use of single-use plastics and their attendant burning. Engr. Solomon Adjei was emphatic about the threat being posed to the productive male workforce emanating from the risk of inhalation of carcinogenic gases. According to him, his warning was informed by the outcome of a research conducted by a Professor at the University of Ghana, Professor Chris Gordon on the implications of the inhalation of carcinogenic gases on male sexuality. He equally alleges that Professor Chris Gordon’s research findings indicated that dioxide and carcinogenic gases which are churned into the atmosphere as a result of burning of pollutants when inhaled in bits can get to an "effective stage" where one could suffer from lung challenges. Engr. Adjei maintained that the best way to go is to consider what he termed a pragmatic way of handling waste. Given that, he is suggesting that the government should invest in facilities to aid in the intermediate treatment of waste before the final disposal. He therefore appealed to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology and Innovation (MESTI) to as a matter of urgency endeavour to advance the law preventing producers of carrier bags to increase the microns. Adding, this will enable the carrier bags to be converted into other forms of use. The practice of waste incineration being adopted by most hospitals in the country currently, he alluded to, is a crude way of burning waste that continues to churn dangerous carcinogenic gases into the atmosphere. And therefore, vehemently warned that the inhalation of such gases can lead to terminal diseases and lung problems. He ended his speech with a call on the authorities to take immediate steps leading to a ban on single-use plastics in the country to avert infirmities, discomfort and environmental pollution. Metropolitan Public Health Director at the AMA, Madam Florence Kuukyi reflecting upon the severity of the situation in which the country found itself recently pledges her outfit’s readiness to collaborate with any like-minded stakeholder; personality, institution and organization to help promote sanitation and safeguard the environment.   She however bemoaned the adequacy of sanitation courts across the country, a situation she described as hampering the effective administration or contributing to the sanitation oversight the country is bedevilled with. She observed that people seem to understand punitive measures rather than steps to abate nuisances hence called for effective law enforcement to address the canker. In addition, she complained about the typical Ghanaian attitude of:  "people think they know people" “so when held liable for an offense, the next minute, you receive calls for their release”. The Co-founder, GAYO, Desmond Alugnoa is upbeat that the implementation of the anti-incineration & plastic pollution campaign will go a long way to help address the menace. “Plastic Pollution remains a major challenge in Ghana. The menace which contributes significantly to climate change is equally known to be the cause for land and water pollution, enhances greenhouse emissions, devalues marine ecosystems, and threatens wildlife and biodiversity. Chemicals released by plastic waste render soil unproductive, thereby affecting food security. It is in the light of this unfortunate development, GAYO and partners are leading the way with the launch of the anti-incineration & plastic pollution campaign to help tackle the issue of plastic pollution in the country”, Mabel Naa Amorkor Laryea, Project Lead for the Anti-Incineration and Plastic Pollution Campaign (AIPPC) has posited.