The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed, has revealed that adopting circular practices in Ghana could boost GDP growth by 1.9 percent by 2030 and create over 60,000 jobs.
The minister indicated that these jobs would emerge in sectors such as recycling, innovation, and manufacturing.
Delivering the keynote address at the Environmental Sustainability Summit 2025, Dr Mohammed stated that plastic waste costs the economy a staggering US$6 billion annually — representing about 11 percent of Ghana’s GDP.
According to him, if Ghana is able to implement policies that gradually phase out plastics, this hard currency could be saved and redirected to other sectors of the economy.
He noted that Ghana — through a possible ban on plastics, a circular economy, domestic recycling, and reuse of plastics — could save between €200 million and €300 million in imports, further easing pressure on the cedi.
The summit, organised by the Business and Financial Times in Accra, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, environmental experts, and other relevant stakeholders to discuss viable strategies for ending plastic waste pollution.
Dr. Mohammed revealed that Ghana generates a staggering 1.1 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.
Estimates show that over 50 percent of this waste remains uncollected, and only about 9 percent is recycled.
This waste often ends up on the streets, clogs drains, causes floods, contaminates fisheries, and creates health hazards.
“The consequences are dire and quantifiable,” the minister stated. “Beyond the environmental devastation — clogged drains, plastic-laden fish, and public health risks — this linear ‘take-make-use-discard’ model is haemorrhaging our economy. We cannot afford the status quo.”
The minister emphasized that plastics could play a pivotal role in Ghana’s economic strategy, stressing that the adoption of circular practices is not just environmentally necessary but also economically imperative.
Drawing inspiration from successes in Rwanda and Kenya, he revealed that Ghana is actively exploring multi-pronged policy interventions to curb plastic pollution.
These include a possible ban and taxes on single-use plastics to discourage their use, and mandating plastic producers to fund waste collection and recycling efforts.
“Those multi-million-dollar companies must make a contribution,” the minister asserted, highlighting the importance of ensuring producer responsibility for environmental stewardship.
He also revealed that the government is considering the promulgation of a comprehensive legal framework on plastics and climate change.
To further demonstrate government’s commitment to this cause, an Environment, Science & Technology Forum — an annual event — will be inaugurated in August 2025.
The forum, to be chaired by the President, aims to bridge the gap between research — which the minister said is “gathering dust on shelves” — and policy, and to promote private sector innovation. He cited past successes like instant neat fufu and Pozzolana cement, which were developed by CSIR, a government research institute.
The minister concluded with a powerful call for societal and behavioural change, quoting the renowned scientist Albert Einstein:
“The significant problems that confront us can never be solved with the thinking we had when we created them.”
He challenged all sectors — industry, academia, CSOs, citizens, and international partners — to collaborate, innovate, and take action to address the plastic waste crisis.
“Simple acts, multiplied millions of times, will make a world of difference. Let us resolve that years from now, we will look back on 2025 as the turning point,” he urged.
