World Environment Day: Plastic pollution a national shame - Nana Dwomoh Sarpong

Ghana must adopt a comprehensive approach to address the plastic pollution plaguing its rivers and other water bodies, Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, President of Friends of Rivers and Waterbodies, has said.  

Speaking to Graphic Online in Accra on Thursday, June 5, 2025, in connection with World Environment Day, Nana Sarpong described the massive plastic pollution of the country’s water bodies as a "national shame."

He singled out the Odaw River in Accra as one of the most abused rivers in the country and called for urgent action to restore it from an environmental blight to a thing of beauty.  

The theme for this year's celebration “Beat Plastic Pollution”, seeks to raise global awareness about the damaging effects of plastic waste on ecosystems, wildlife, and human health.

Nana Sarpong noted that the scale of the problem is staggering, with severe implications for aquatic life, human health, and the economy.  

“We should look at how we can recycle plastics,” he suggested, emphasising the need for Ghana to promote the use of biodegradable paper bags instead of non-degradable plastic bags.  

“Elsewhere in the world, paper bags are widely used. Here, many people are contracting all kinds of diseases from eating food stored in plastics,” he said.  

The environmentalist challenged the Ministry of Environment, and the Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to intensify public education on the dangers of plastic pollution.  

He also urged the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)to step out of its comfort zone and lead the campaign to protect the environment from plastic waste.