Demonstrating gratitude to loyal citizens, even
posthumously, is always an honourable thing. Undoubtedly, the late former Vice
President, Mr. Aliu Mahama would beam handsomely for his remembrance, if he could
witness it. But I am positive that he would even be happier if he was
remembered for his passion for cleanliness and sanitation. It is a pity that
his passionate campaign could not motivate fellow country people to collaborate
with him for sustainable safe waste management. The poor support must have
galled him.
Whilst it is logical to include general cleaning in
the activities slated for his anniversary, it would be excellent if the
occasion would be used to commence a new culture in safe waste management, persuade
the general populace to be conscientious managers of waste. The anniversary
should be a radical departure from the usual mass cleaning which end in dumping
waste on the curb of gutters, only for wind and rain to litter and return to the
gutters. It should begin a conscientious agenda in waste sorting and recycling to
protect health and the environment. All
residents have a responsibility to review their attitude towards waste. It
is time for a new waste culture in Ghana.
Evidently, majority of Ghanaians are not rethinking
their position on waste management that is why they litter, which is the reason
we are engulfed by filth. Through our poor management of waste, we degrade the
environment, deface the country and subject ourselves to preventable diseases
and death. We neglect our sanitation responsibilities, then blame witches and
politicians for our maladies. When other communities are creating wealth out of
filth, we spend huge amounts of money on filth and sacrifice precious lives on
its altar. The nation failed the then Vice President when it denied him a
sustainable support for a clean Ghana.
However, it is never too late to do the right thing,
the conscientious thing, especially, when it concerns this space we call our
home. Hitherto, it was the late Vice President’s campaign; this 5th
anniversary should commence a holistic approach to waste management. Yes, strategize
for the safe management of all types of waste among the populace. There are
avenues for exploration:
Experts have indicated that 60-65 % of the waste
generated in Ghana is organic, which could be recycled into organic manure for
the regeneration of the top soil. Through research and improved technology,
vermicomposting (earthworm farming) has become a formidable force in recycling organic
waste; it combines kitchen waste, paper, garden and industrial waste. Worms
consume the waste and process into organic manure. If we explored
vermicomposting to reduce the waste sent to the landfill by about 65 %, we
would indeed honour the memory of the late Vice President with a clean Ghana. The
good news is that vermicomposting can be done at home, at work, in schools, in
offices on farms. So future articles will take readers through the basic steps
of vermicomposting and challenge Ghanaians to manage the waste they generate. Between
vermicomposting and bio-fuel technology, organic waste should be absolutely
recycled in this country.
Even though plastic waste has become a global
headache, in Ghana it is especially an environmental menace and a national
nightmare. Though a cross-section of the business community operates successful
plastic businesses or patronise the product, they hardly recycle the used
products, hence the plastic crisis. Sweden has taken quite a lead in innovative
handling of plastic. Ghana should collaborate in order to find a lasting
solution to the plastic waste menace. Such a collaboration could empower plastic
manufacturers to operate plastic recycling programmes.
Electronic waste is just as troubling as all the other
types of waste left unmanaged. Elsewhere, manufacturers of electronic gadgets
have established electronic waste management systems, which take care of used
materials. On such products, consumers are prompted not to dispose electronic waste
anyhow but to send them to recycling posts. The problem is that Ghana does not
have any such post, so used gadgets end in the hands of scrap collectors.
Recently, BBC’s Click programme featured a sophisticated plant which recycles
electronic materials in Ireland. It compared practices in other countries and
featured Ghana’s Agbloboshie market where boys were busily dismantling
discarded computers. The host warned that the boys’ exposure to radioactive
materials makes them highly susceptible to dangerous diseases.
Communication service providers in Ghana perform all
kinds of social responsibilities, but none has established an electronic waste recycling
plant, though they import enormous amounts of electronic gadgets. They fund
beauty pageants, build schools, among other commendable projects, but they actually
neglect the primary duty of tackling waste from their principal activity. By
selectively fulfilling social responsibility, the companies endorse
environmental degradation, compromise the health of the very people they claim
to help. It is time the nation safely recycled electronic waste, and the onus
of responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of communication service
providers. The National Communication Authority and National Media Communication
must ensure that communication service providers safely recycle waste from
their primary activity before they engage in other social activities.
