Zoomlion partners Graphic on waste management

Zoomlion Ghana Limited has entered into a partnership with the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) to implement key strategies to ensure that the citizenry become fully aware of the consequences of bad waste management practices.

While Zoomlion will continue to provide waste management infrastructure and equipment to manage the growing waste situation in Ghana, the GCGL, through its news channels, will provide public education throughout the country to educate the people to desist from bad waste management practices and instead adopt proper waste management methods at all times.

Already, both Zoomlion and the GCGL have hundreds of sanitation clubs in basic and senior high schools (SHSs), with those clubs engaged in regular campaigns against bad waste management practices.

Members of the clubs are groomed to become responsible adults with regard to waste management.

New trucks

At a consultative forum in Accra, the Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Mr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, said the partnership with the GCGL would see the launch of 100 brand new trucks in the coming week to further expand the waste collection space.

“If we must succeed, then the government ought to ensure that adequate attention is paid to the waste management sector.

“The security agencies in the various metropolises, municipalities and districts must enforce the bye-laws to the letter, while district waste management offices must be given the needed capacity building.

“Growing partnerships for infrastructural investment must be key; there should be provision of continuous public education; the government should regulate the activities of informal waste collectors, the sanitation courts should be decentralised and practicalised, among other things,” he said.

Awards

Mr Agyepong said through the partnership, the GCGL would monitor and reward the cleanest regional and district capitals, as well as communities, with mouth-watering incentives in the coming weeks.

He disclosed that his outfit had set aside GH¢5 million to enable Ghanaian universities interested in researching into the environment and sanitation to access and find modern solutions to the waste problems in the country.

Reducing harmful effects

The Director of Marketing and Sales of the GCGL, Mr Franklin Sowa, in a presentation, underscored the need for the people to not only manage waste but also ensure the protection of the environment .

That, he explained, would help reduce the harmful effects of bad sanitation practices.

Mr Sowa said Zoomlion and the GCGL partnership was targeted at achieving a clean and healthy environment, creating awareness of sanitation and enabling behavioural change on environmental sanitation.

He mentioned the strategies to be employed by the partners to include the expansion of sanitation clubs in schools; regional, district to community dialogue and education for driver unions.

Mr Sowa added that there would be special campaigns at tollbooths across the country, the promotion of the use of waste bins, education in faith-based organisations, as well as the use of various forms of advertisement and publications on a daily basis to ensure behavioural change on sanitation.

Supporting national effort

The Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Kobby Asmah, for his part, lauded the two organisations for coming together to support national efforts at making the country clean.

He stressed the importance of the partnership towards ensuring good sanitation habits among the people, saying: "The commitment of the two organisations to the goal of working to make Ghana clean is a very good step."

He said making the country clean was an attitudinal issue which required all hands on deck, and expressed the hope that at the end of the year-long collaboration, the country, the GCGL and Zoomlion would be the ultimate winners.

Present was Mr George Danso, the Adverts Manager of GCGL.