The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has moved to clarify the scope of an impending plastic ban, stating that only single-use and non-recyclable plastics will be targetted under the forthcoming policy measures – not all plastic products.
Speaking at the 2025 Environmental Sustainability Summit (ESS) organised by B&FT, Acting Director-Human Settlement Unit, EPA, Hope Lomotey said the policy aims to eliminate the most environmentally damaging plastics while allowing the continued use of recyclable and essential plastic materials.
“When you talk of plastic, at times we get confused. Rubber is not plastic. Car tyres are not plastic. The single-use ones are the challenge now,” Mr. Lomotey explained at the event, which was held under the theme ‘Ending Plastic Waste in Ghana: A Sustainable Future for All’.
The clarification comes in the wake of growing public anxiety and misinformation surrounding the proposed ban’s nature and impact. Some industry players and consumers had feared a sweeping prohibition on all plastic-related products.
The announcement follows recent passage of the Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124), which consolidates the country’s environmental laws under a new legal framework and grants the EPA overarching authority across all sectors. The Act supersedes previous laws governing the EPA and marks a decisive shift toward integrated and cross-cutting environmental management.
Ghana currently generates an estimated 1.1 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, of which only about five percent is recycled, according to data from the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI). The rest ends up in landfills, drainage systems and water-bodies – contributing to urban flooding, marine pollution and adverse health outcomes.
Credit: thebftonline