The Executive Director of Recycle Up Ghana, Abdul-Rahim Shaibu Issah, has called on the government to create a favorable business environment for plastic recycling companies in Ghana.
He believes that rather than the government directly establishing plastic waste processing facilities, it should foster an environment that supports the activities of recycling firms.
“I don’t believe that the government should set up recycling factories. Instead, it can create a conducive environment to encourage recycling and waste management companies in the country,” he stated.
Both past and current governments have taken some steps, including financial allocations, to address the country’s waste challenge.
Speaking with Plastic Journalist, Fatawu Bayaga as part of a plastic recycling documentary titled “Beyond The Bin”, Mr. Issah acknowledges that, while these efforts are commendable, more action is needed.
He urged the government to facilitate easier access to permits and suitable land through community engagement and other processes to support these companies’ operations.
Abdul Rahim stated that, they’re planning to establish a plastic recycling industry but the money involved is very huge, as they need not less than 500,000 dollars to complete the entire plant.
“We’re setting up a facility to recycle plastics and it’s not been easy because it’s heavily capital intensive, and I’m not talking about 100,000 dollars or 200,000 dollars. We’re looking at in excess of over 500,000 dollars to set up a complete recycling system,” he explained.
He added that accessing this kind of capital is difficult.
However, he believes the government can work with bilateral and multilateral partners to facilitate financing opportunities for local companies.
Abdul-Rahim Shaibu Issah further appealed to the government to subsidize import duties at the ports for recyclers, as he has recently paid a huge amount in taxes to clear goods.
“If I told you how much I paid in taxes just to clear some goods, you would be surprised, because I looked at the money and said this can pay about 10 employees for two years,” he indicated.
While Mr. Issah believes an outright ban on plastic importation seems unlikely for now, he suggests that the government consider a gradual phase-out of problematic materials, such as plastic bags.
Countries in Africa, like Uganda, introduced legislation in 2007 to ban the sale of lightweight plastic bags under 30mm thick and penalize the sale of thicker bags at a punitive rate of 120%.
Although the laws were implemented in September of that year, they have not been enforced and have not significantly reduced the use of plastic bags.
Mr. Issah believes that a proactive government, or a bold Ministry of Environment, could gradually phase out plastic bags over the coming years to drastically reduce this environmental menace in Ghana.
