The Obuasi Area Head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Mr. Prempeh Adarkwa Yiadom, says the massive increase in plastic pollution in Obuasi and Ghana at large is a result of a ‘Life of Convenience’ we live as a people.
Speaking to Obuasitoday.com at the World Environment Day celebrations in Obuasi, Mr. Adarkwa Yiadom said that people nowadays feel reluctant and lazy to carry baskets from their homes when going to do purchases in the market.
‘Everybody wants to feel comfortable when going to the market. That was not the practice some years ago. Our mothers and sisters some years ago used to carry baskets and bags from the house when going to the market for shopping. Everything they bought were placed in these baskets.’
‘That is not the case today. We go to the market with empty hands and every single thing we purchase is put in a plastic bag (Polythene Bag). We come home with a lot of these plastic bags, and the saddest thing is, we don’t reuse them when going to the market the next time.’
He urged citizens to desist from that act to help protect the environment for ourselves, our children and our children’s children. He made an appeal to the public on the collective responsibility of protecting our atmosphere, water bodies, soil and other environmental systems.
In conclusion, Mr. Prempeh Adarkwa Yiadom, encouraged consumer-based actions to reduce plastic pollution and encouraged the public to reduce non-necessary plastic items, reduce single-use plastics, replace plastic items with reusable and or alternative products with lower environmental impact and finally correctly dispose of items such as water sachets (pure water rubber).
‘We all have a duty to preserve the environment. We have Only One Earth, let us beat plastic pollution’ – he said.