The President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ms María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés has supported calls for a ban on single-use plastics
According to her, this will help tackle the plastic waste menace in Ghana.
Ms Garcés made the call during a joint press interaction with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey when she arrived in Ghana on Wednesday (May 8, 2019).
She is on a four-day state visit to Ghana. As part of her visit, she is expected to emphasise the importance of strengthening multilateralism as the best option for responding to global crises and challenges.
Ghana produces and uses 5,700 tonnes of polyethene terephthalate (PET) (about 70,000 plastic bottles) every month.
The country faces a major environmental catastrophe since most people do not dispose of plastic waste properly.
Ghana is currently experiencing a plastic menace, with almost everything, including food and non-food items, being packaged in plastic, without any elaborate plan in operation to deal with the waste generated after the products have been used.
Speaking to journalists in Accra Ms Garcés said the use of plastic must be managed since it is affecting the oceans.
“We are launching a world campaign against single-use plastics. We know that about 30 million tonnes of plastic flow to our oceans every year and this is killing the oceans, and this is polluting the fish, and this is coming to our bodies, affecting our health and this is one of the most pressing environmental issues.”
“This global campaign is aimed precisely at calling the attention of producers and consumers as well to look for alternative materials. So, stop using single-use plastics and this is the agenda or issue that needs to be taken up by the youth or young people and I think we need to change our priorities as consumers and if we are able to do that it will be great,” she added.