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The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation has announced that it will closely monitor the activities of Plastic manufacturing companies across the country.

The Sector Minister, Mahama Ayariga explains that this is to ensure that they comply with the ban on the manufacturing and sale of light plastics. Government announced a ban on the manufacturing and sale of light plastics fewer than 20 microns adding that the ban is set to effect from November 1.

Addressing the media at a press briefing in Accra, Mahama Ayariga assured the general public of full compliance to the ban.

“EPA is working with some companies responsible for the production of biodegradable additives; we will always go to the manufacturer to see which company has come to buy additives and which ones have not bought some, which is how come we know that you are not using it. We will then go the market to search for your products, we will take it through the test and we will be able to establish that you are not using the additive and you are helping to create an environmental nuisance,” he said.

Mahama Ayariga clarified that there is no ban on plastic bags in the country.

He said “nobody has ban plastics in Ghana, indeed plastics are convenient mechanism for packaging and transporting all sort of things.”

“What we have done is to meet with the different stakeholders in the sector and we have come to some agreement on what to do about the menace of plastic waste and its impact on the environment. We have agreed with the plastic manufacturers that we they would start using Oxo biodegradable plastics. With this you can actually determine how long the lifespan of the plastic to be before it starts the processes of degradation.”