The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) will implement Phase II pilot tests on plastic-free schools, water vending machines, and edible and compostable packaging to address plastic waste under the Basel Convention in 2025.
This phase of the plastic waste reduction project will target schools, water consumption and food packaging.
The one-year pilot builds on a previous phase [phase 1] from 2018-2023, focusing on three key initiatives: plastic-free schools, water vending machines and edible packaging solutions.
The Deputy Director of the Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPMED) at MESTI, Madam Abena Afriyie Appiah, disclosed this at a workshop on promoting environmentally sound management of plastic waste and achieving the prevention and minimisation of the generation of plastic waste in Ghana on Wednesday in Accra.
She noted that the plastic-free schools’ programme would teach children how to separate waste and understand its economic value. She added, “Students will learn to transform plastics into products like tote bags and pencil cases, turning waste into resources.”
The Deputy Director disclosed that as part of the pilot tests, water vending machines would be strategically placed, with one already installed at Junction Mall, Accra and users can fill personal bottles at a token, reducing single-use plastic consumption.
According to her, the edible packaging pilot revealed challenges in handling soupy foods but the new initiative under Phase II would test packaging in two hotels and two restaurants to address earlier leakage problems.
“We can’t ban plastics completely, but we can reduce their use through behavioural change and innovative alternatives,” she added.
On his part, Andrea Cararo from the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions Secretariat, stated that the project gains additional significance amid ongoing global discussions on plastic waste, which according to him, was an indication of its alignment with international environmental goals.
“This project demonstrates Ghana’s proactive approach to addressing plastic pollution,” he said.
He noted the project’s connection to the current Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting in Busan, Korea, where global plastic waste strategies are being discussed.
During the first project phase, the team distributed over 1,000 seaweed takeaway containers, trained recyclers from four companies and collected plastic fishnets for recycling.
Supported by the Basel Convention Secretariat and the Norwegian government, the initiative runs from January to December 2025, representing a targeted approach to reducing plastic waste through education, infrastructure and sustainable solutions.
Irene Wirekoaa Osei, ISD
