UniMAC students unite against single-use plastics

Students of the Institute of Journalism Campus of the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMAC-GIJ), last Saturday, converged on the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s Omanye Aba Hall to propose fresh innovative solutions against the single-use plastics menace in the country.

The event, which was on the theme: The lobby: Navigating digital influence for policy change,” marked the climax of the semester’s digital lobbying campaign meant to educate and encourage the use of reusable alternatives instead of the non-biodegradable plastics that have become an environmental menace after their use.

Plastic receptacles

Information sourced from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) shows that around the world, including Ghana, one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year.

In total, half of all plastic produced are designed for single-use purposes — used just once and then thrown away. 

Challenges

The management of plastic waste has become a significant environmental and social issue, causing problems such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

Plastic menace also leads to many health problems, such as asthma and cancer in people.

It was for this reason that students had, over the last few weeks, engaged policymakers, experts, and the general public to demand stricter regulations and viable alternatives to single-use plastics via the digital space.

The experts and stakeholders on the X space under the hashtag #BanSingleUsePlasticsGH made a firm commitment to support the agenda for a ban on single-use plastics.

The campaign was spearheaded by Level 400 Public Relations (PR) and marketing students offering the Government Relations and Public Affairs course.

Action

A seasoned Communications Specialist, Peter Martey Agbeko, said the country must take bold, deliberate, and sustained action to win the fight against single-use plastics.

“Ghana stands at a crossroads in its fight against plastic pollution. By adopting the Rwandan model, particularly by banning plastics at entry points such as the airport, the nation can take a significant step towards a cleaner, healthier environment,” he said.

A lecturer at the Department of Marine & Fisheries Sciences, University of Ghana, Dr Andrews Agyekumhene, also said there was an alarming shift of plastic waste from a mere nuisance to an environmental catastrophe.

He said the consequences of unchecked plastic waste on marine biodiversity, human health and ecosystems could be dire.

The Campaign Lead at Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM), a CSO, Samuel Duah, said recycling plastics was not an option because it cost more to recycle than to produce new ones.

He, therefore, urged citizens to support the ban against single-use plastics by signing the petition against the menace.