Oxo-biodegradable plastics and a partial ban
The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation issued a directive that from November 1, 2015, all plastics produced in Ghana should be oxo-biodegradable. The directive also indicated that all plastics produced in Ghana should be above 20 micron. The focus of this write-up is to analyse whether these directives could solve the plastic waste challenge facing Ghana.
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Let me first try to elaborate on the extent of the plastic waste problem. Plastics are non-biodegradable, unlike other products such as paper. This characteristic of plastic, which makes it a good packaging material for all kinds of products, also makes it very complicated to manage after usage. This complication stems from the fact that plastics can stay in the environment as long as time itself.
We have all come face to face with the nuisance created along the country’s beaches by plastics. The rivers and even farming lands have not been spared of this scourge. Animals feed on plastics and
Previous attempts
Various attempts have been made in dealing with the plastic waste from different perspectives. Notable among these attempts is the trade in plastics for recycling. The various private stakeholders took the bull by the horn in 2007 and promoted plastic waste as a commodity. As with other business driven initiatives, plastic waste has become a commodity for trade.
Today, the companies are recycling about 120 tons of plastic waste a day. There are presently over 5,000 individuals engaged in the plastic waste collection and selling business.
The Plastic Waste Management Programme-Ghana also combined forces with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to arrest and prosecute littering offenders. Within a few days of implementation, the catchment areas became relatively cleaner.
Despite these piecemeal approaches from mainly public and private sector stakeholders, the plastic waste challenges greatly persist as there are no governmental structures or frameworks for dealing with it. The only distanced governmental approach was to develop the National Environmental and Sanitation Policy (2011) with an accompanying strategic action plan. The government also in 2011 instituted the Environmental Tax of 20 per cent on all plastic imports. This was reviewed to 10 per cent in 2013. As we continue marking time as a country, the volumes of plastic waste in our environment continue to grow since our packaging and consumption patterns have greatly changed in favour of plastics.
The President, therefore, being frustrated by the ugly appearance of plastic litter at every corner of the country, made a public declaration in July that government will be forced to ban plastics if the stakeholders do nothing about the rather embarrassing situation.
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Ministry of Environment directive
The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation exhibited strategic leadership by taking a cue from the President’s declaration by triggering a discussion among stakeholders, which subsequently led to the directive that all plastics produced and imported into Ghana should be made oxo-biodegradable by November 1, 2015. The directive also indicated that all plastics produced in Ghana should be 20 micron and above. The latter directive on the micron has been suspended after a petition by the Ghana Plastic Manufacturers Association.
Oxo Biodegradable Plastics
Oxo Biodegradable Plastics are almost exactly the same as conventional plastic. It is made with the same raw materials, machines and workforce. The only difference of the Oxo-Biodegradable plastic from normal plastic is that a pro-degrading formulation of one per cent is added to 99 per cent of normal resin at the factory during production.
The fundamental point about oxo-biodegradable technology is that the formulation turns ordinary plastic at the end of its useful life in the presence of oxygen into a material with a different molecular structure. At that stage, it is no longer a plastic and has become a material which is inherently biodegradable in the open environment in the same way as a leaf.
Oxo-biodegradable plastic biodegrades in a much shorter timescale than ordinary plastics and does not contain heavy metals and is safe even for direct food contact. It can also be recycled during its useful life.
Can the EPA enforce Oxo biodegradable introduction?
There is always the tendency to ask the above question because of previous examples of non-enforcement of laws in Ghana. The following are, however, the guidelines that the Environmental Protection Agency has outlined for implementation.
A sample of the oxo biodegradable additive which has been independently tested by an approved test house and shows that it meets the criteria set out in the Standard Test Method ASTM D 6954-04 must be submitted to Ghana Standards Authority (GSA).
A sample of film incorporating the Oxo additive manufactured by an established film manufacturer in Ghana should be tested in the laboratory of the additive supplier to determine the degradation profile.
The GSA will then conduct a ‘real life’ test on a similar film sample to determine the Degradation End Point’s using ASTM D 3826. Once an Oxo additive has met all the above criteria, it can receive approval from GSA and be registered by EPA for import into Ghana and use by film manufacturers in Ghana.
Inasmuch as the above are water tight to prevent infiltration of fake or unapproved oxo biodegradable additive, the EPA still has a daunting task to ensure compliance.
Is the Oxo biodegradable additive available in Ghana?
Despite this water-tight approval process, Reverte Oxo-biodegradable has already been approved in Ghana. This has been possible because the issue of Oxo biodegradable plastics has been on the discussion table for over seven years; when a team of experts from Wells Plastics in the United Kingdom visited Ghana under the auspices of the Ghana Plastic Manufacturer’s Association.
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Conclusion
Considering the long and tortuous journey that Ghana has travelled in its quest to manage plastic waste, and the fact that the evidence still shows that we have only scratched the tip of the iceberg, we have no choice but to take this oxo-biodegradable opportunity. All stakeholders who have roles to play, be it small or big, must commit to these roles in earnest and sincerity. More often than not, the private stakeholders’ business interest hinders the smooth running of such bold initiatives from the government. The plastic waste management efforts, since its inception, have been championed by the private sector. Government’s singular effort in introducing oxo-biodegradable plastics must, therefore, not be distracted by any excuse whatsoever to ensure a better environment for posterity.
The writer is Programmes Director, Plastic Waste Management
Programme-Ghana