Beyond Galamsey: Tarkwa EPA Chief Declares War on Single-Use Plastics, Urges Reusables and Innovation

Speaking at the World Environment Day celebration hosted by Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL) at Damang, Madam Otabil declared that the ecological challenges facing Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni Valley extend far beyond galamsey and demand immediate, community-wide action against plastic pollution.

"It goes beyond that," Otabil asserted, shifting the focus. "Looking at how people throw single plastics around, it poses a lot of challenges." She highlighted a particularly insidious impact: the practice of some galamsey operators using plastics on mining sites, which subsequently contaminates crops monitored by the EPA Tarkwa office. "The impact... is a lot on crops," she stated, underscoring the pervasive nature of the problem.

“Me Nnpe Rubber": A Slogan for Change
Central to the EPA Tarkwa's campaign is the slogan "Me Nnpe rubber" (I don’t like rubber), directly targeting the ubiquitous single-use plastic bags. Otabil painted a stark picture of the scale: "When you look at the number of single-use plastics rubbers we take every day to our various homes and workplaces, it poses a lot of refuse around."

The agency is advocating for a fundamental shift in consumer habits:
1. Market Revolution: We are thinking that, when we go to the market, we can go with a basket, or one big plastic rubber and pick items individually without taking small small plastics along with us." The core message is prevention: "When you go and buy anything, try to prevent taking the single-use plastic rubbers."
2. Food Vendor Shift – Health & Environment: Otabil raised serious health concerns linked to food vending practices. "Buying porridge in hot rubbers poses health challenges," she warned. Her solution is clear: "It is important that whenever you’re being offered the plastic, you refuse it and go with your cup, or flask." She urged the public: "When you go to the vendor to buy your waakye or porridge, prevent the plastics and go with your rubber bowl or flask for the food you’re buying."

Empowering Youth Innovation: Plastic as Resource, Not Waste:
Looking beyond prevention, Director Otabil passionately called for innovation, positioning plastic waste not just as a problem, but a potential resource. "We are also pushing the agenda that we should allow and motivate our younger ones to produce things out of plastics that will be useful to society," she announced.

She specifically challenged the youth: "We want our younger ones and those who want to rethink the usage of the plastic to be creative and find other ways to use plastic... I would like to motivate our younger ones to be innovative and come up with other ways of using plastic, with all the plastic that is creating filth in our communities." This call to action aims to transform plastic pollution into an entrepreneurial opportunity and a community benefit.

A Multifaceted Challenge:
While galamsey remains a critical issue, Otabil's speech firmly established that "We have a lot of environmental challenges when it comes to EPA Tarkwa," and single-use plastics constitute a significant, daily threat impacting public health, agricultural safety, and overall environmental cleanliness. Her message at the World Environment Day event marked a significant push for behavioural change and creative solutions, urging the communities of Tarkwa Nsuaem and Prestea Huni Valley to look critically at their plastic consumption habits and embrace reusables while harnessing the innovative spirit of the youth to tackle the plastic waste crisis. The battle for Tarkwa's environment, it seems, must be fought on multiple fronts, with the war on plastic now taking centre stage alongside the ongoing struggle against illegal mining.

Source: Nana Esi Brew Monney

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