By: Razak Baba
Statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA has revealed that out of the million tons of plastic waste produced in Ghana annually, only about five per cent is properly recycled.
The rest pile up within the environment and land fields, with a larger percentage ending up in water bodies due to lack of infrastructure to properly dispose them off.
This came to light at this year’s Catholic Senior High Schools Plastic Waste Management Competition in Kumasi.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference in 2021 launched a five-year comprehensive plan dubbed, “Laudato Si Action Programme to galvanize local efforts towards reversing the destruction of homes due to climate change and its related crisis.
The project connects Goal Three of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Catholic Education in the past years have in various ways championed Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education in basic and second cycle institutions to help equip the youth with scientific and innovative ideas as to how they can help keep their communities safe.
It is for these reasons that the National Catholic Secretariat through the Directorate of Governance, Justice and Peace has collaborated with the Catholic Education Unit and the Ghana Education Service with support from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and various stakeholders to help students of selected Senior High Schools (SHSs) to proffer basic homegrown practical solutions to plastic waste management in Ghana.
Plastic waste is a known contributing factor to land, water, and air pollution, which has direct consequences on both human and animal life.
Hence, cubing this menace will effectively help to improve upon good health and well-being of the society. in line with the Catholic Church’s contribution to education.
The selected schools are Opoku Ware SHS in Kumasi, Saint Hubert Minor Seminary SHS, also in Kumasi, Mount Carmel Girls’ SHS in Techiman, Our Lady of Apostles Girls SHS in Ahafo Kenyasi and Saint Louis Girls SHS in Kumasi.
The participating schools in the Plastic Waste Management Competition demonstrated their innovative practical skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The General Manager of Catholic schools, Ms Araba Ahima Bentum addressing the participants expressed concern about statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency which revealed that, out of the more than a million tons of plastic waste produced annually, only about five per cent is properly recycled, with the rest piling up within the environment.
The Programme Director of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Dr. Joseph Darmoe commended the competing schools for their creativity and innovations in proffer basic homegrown practical solutions to plastic waste management.
He underscored the need for investing in the youth particularly students at the second cycle institutions to address issues of waste.
At the end of the competition, Saint Louis Girls SHS placed first with 77. 33 points for recycling water sachets into ladies handbags, babies cot and shoe rack.
Opoku Ware SHS placed second with 75.33, for using water sachets to produce water-resistant canopy covers.
The third place went to Our Lady of Apostles Girls SHS for recycling water sachet into rain cot, who had 73 points.
Each of the winning schools were presented with a certificate, educational materials and a trophy.