The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana on May 25 announced an imminent ban on all polystyrene products in the country, effective January 2027.

The ban will cover widely used items such as styrofoam takeaway food containers, disposable foam cups, disposable foam plates and bowls, foam packaging used for electronics and appliances, and other expanded polystyrene (EPS) products.

Despite the proposed ban, the environmental regulator has expressed that it may be difficult to implement the ban as planned if the public is not well educated on the need for it and there is no extensive engagement with stakeholders, including manufacturers, importers, food vendors, retailers, waste management firms, consumers, and relevant government agencies, before the ban can be effectively implemented and enforced.

Speaking on Pulse on JoyNews, the Deputy Director of the Human Settlement Unit at the EPA, Joy Hesse Ankomah, said tackling plastic pollution is a complex challenge that extends beyond Ghana and requires coordinated action at both the national and global levels.

“A lot of education has to start, and a lot of strategies have to be put in place. This is a global fight and not just a Ghanaian fight,” the official stated.

Stressing that strategies to deal with these polystyrene materials in Ghana had been adopted for years, she noted that implementation and enforcement had been a challenge due to a lack of the necessary policy backing from government.

“The whole strategy was put in place, but we needed the policy backing, basically from the government,” the official said.

She noted that changes in government over the years contributed to delays in advancing the policy.

“As you know, 11 years ago, there were changes in government. Everybody comes and we have to re-look at it,” she added, also citing the incumbent government’s position on polystyrene products.

“Until last year, when the President gave us the green light to start with that of the polystyrene products,” she said.

The official disclosed that following a meeting with stakeholders, January 1, 2027, has been proposed as the date for the policy to take effect.

She stressed that technical experts have had to carefully assess the implications of the proposed ban before implementation.

“It was a process. Technical people were still working on it because there are global implications, trade implications, economic implications, and other health-related implications,” she explained.

The President of the Plastic Manufacturers Association of Ghana, Ebbo Botwe, after the government announced plans to ban styrofoam, called on President John Dramani Mahama to hold broader consultations with the industry before enacting a ban on Styrofoam in Ghana.

On Thursday, June 6, President John Dramani Mahama revealed the government's plans to halt the importation and production of Styrofoam, locally known as “takeaway packs.”

The initiative, he said, is aimed at reducing the impact of climate change, protecting the country’s forest cover, and reducing plastic waste in the country.

President Mahama stressed the urgent need to ditch Styrofoam for other materials, describing it as one of the most harmful pollutants.

“One of the most polluting is Styrofoam plastics, where you go and buy your food, and they put it in that whitish something, and you finish eating, you just dump it. That is one of the biggest polluters. And so, we’re going to ban the importation of Styrofoam plastics.

“We have to use paper packaging or aluminium foil for our food. I’m informing the manufacturers and importers of Styrofoam that the Ministry of Environment will soon ban the importation and production of Styrofoam in Ghana,” he said.

However, the Plastic Manufacturers Association of Ghana has acknowledged its environmental impact but maintains that there are many misconceptions surrounding Styrofoam.

He noted that the policy must go through a thorough process to ensure it does not have significant consequences for manufacturers, workers, and consumers.

“Let me try to clear up some misconceptions. The styrofoam that you see contains between 4% to 5% maximum plastic. The rest is air. It is basically air. It becomes more of an eyesore in terms of its impact on the environment. We have a meeting with the Minister for Environment between June 16 and 20. We really want to give the Minister a proper overview of the plastic industry so that when the government wants to initiate any programme or decision, he will be well informed,” he said.

The Ghanaian government has introduced various initiatives aimed at tackling plastic waste.

Although the government has made several attempts to address the sanitation crisis in Greater Accra, many of these initiatives have failed to achieve lasting impact.

These efforts started in 2008 with a ban on plastic production and imports.

In 2011, a Plastic Waste Recycling Fund was established, and a 10% Environmental Excise Tax was levied on imported plastics to support recycling and waste management programmes.

The government also introduced the National Plastics Management Policy in 2020, which seeks to manage plastic waste across its entire lifecycle and promote a circular economy for plastics.

Despite these measures, the issue of proper plastic waste disposal remains a significant challenge, exacerbated by low awareness of safe and sustainable disposal practices such as segregation, recycling, and controlled incineration.