Cabinet has approved the policy to ban the importation of plastics because of their negative impact on the environment.
Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Minister for Environment, Science and Technology; who made this known on Thursday at the launch of Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan (USLP), said the ministry was currently designing implementation plans for the policy which would soon be laid before Parliament.
The USLP is Unilever’s response to environmental degradation and ways to improve the livelihood of the present and future generations.
The launch was under the theme: ‘Growing sustainably, living sustainably.’
Ms. Ayittey said the ministry, in line with effort to preserve the environment, was consulting with sachet water producers on a programme to make them sell water in pet bottles, instead of sachets, since pet bottles were easier to control.
“To stop the dumping of e-waste in the country, the ministry is collaborating with the Ministry of Communications and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA} on a regulation regarding how waste, lead and other dangerous chemicals should be handled, she added.
She expressed concern about the activities of the industries which discharge their waste directly into coastal waters, rivers and streams which eventually end up in the sea affecting the ecosystem, fishing production and bringing about poverty.
Ms. Ayittey said it was to reverse this trend that the Millennium Development Goals meant to eradicate poverty, the unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, to protect and manage the natural resources which were the essentials for economic and social development, were set.
“One big challenge facing our country is the sustainable use of biodiversity resources,” she said.
She, therefore, called for deliberate ways to replenish available resources so that they would not run out.
Ms. Ayittey commended Unilever for the bold initiative in making safe the environment healthy living, and called on other industries to emulate that While calling on the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSRI) to come out with environmental friendly technology for industry, the minister also urged industry to support scientific research in the country.
David Mureithi, Managing Director of Unilever West Africa, said the USLP programme was being implemented in more than 200 countries where the company operated.
The project seeks to help one billion people to improve their health and well being through programmes like hand washing and dental health campaigns.
“It will also reduce by half the environmental impact of our products through energy and water consumption as well as carbon dioxide emission.”
The other goal of the programme is to source agricultural raw materials from farmers who use sustainable methods.
He said Unilever had adopted USLP as its core business practice because it helped to fuel innovation and the growth of its market, among other things.
Mr. Mureithi disclosed that in line with the initiative, Unilever was planning to install a new GH¢ 1 million effluent plant at the Tema factory to treat waste before having it discharged into the environment.
Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, said the initiative would help the development of the country and improve the quality of lives of billions of people around the world and pledged the ministry’s support for it.
Mr. John Kuamah, Tema Metro Director of EPA, urged companies to emulate Unilever by adopting similar initiatives and complying with the EPA’s regulations, to make Ghana a safe place to do business.
Source: The Ghanaian Times
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