The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has rejected calls by local manufacturers and importers for an extension of the January 1, 2027 deadline for the nationwide ban on polystyrene foam (styrofoam) products and selected single-use plastics.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement session in Wa, the EPA’s Chief Executive Officer, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, said the policy would be enforced as scheduled despite concerns from businesses about investments made in machinery, equipment and raw materials.
“We have engaged producers, manufacturers, and importers of styrofoam products. Their concern is that they want some extension of time so that they can recoup some of the investment they have made in their machines, equipment, or raw materials,” Prof. Klutse said.
“However, we have informed them that we cannot. They are making their profits at the expense of the environment, our health, and our properties,” she added.
The ban follows an announcement by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2025 World Environment Day observance. It targets products including takeaway food packs, foam mattresses, ceiling panels and roofing insulation.
Prof. Klutse urged Ghanaians to adopt sustainable alternatives, including carrying personal food containers, using reusable plates and wrapping traditional meals such as waakye and tuo zaafi (TZ) in plantain or banana leaves.
Providing further details on the scope of the ban, the EPA’s Director of Sustainable and Circular Economy, Larry Kotoe, said polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles would be excluded from the immediate ban because of their distinct polymer structure and recycling potential.
He said the Authority would, however, target single-use thin polythene bags commonly known as “coco rubbers” as part of its efforts to eliminate single-use plastics.
“Once you serve food in a coco rubber, you can’t use it again; the next thing is it gets thrown away,” Mr Kotoe said.
He added that the bags would be banned from next year as part of the single-use plastics elimination strategy.
Mr Kotoe also warned food vendors against wrapping hot food items such as kenkey in thin plastic film before boiling or wrapping them in leaves. He said environmental officers would confiscate materials that do not comply with the policy.
To support implementation, EPA management is working on a reward system to encourage compliance at the district level. The Authority is also developing a structured take-back collection system to channel recyclable PET plastics to specialised processing plants.
The EPA said the nationwide campaign was being funded through its internally generated funds (IGF).
The Authority’s Director of Risk and Strategic Management, Sydney Kwaku Danso, said the prohibition of imported styrofoam materials was already being enforced at key entry points in collaboration with the Ghana Revenue Authority’s Customs Division.
Speaking on behalf of DSP Abdul-Rahman, Sergeant Gabriel Akornor said security personnel were prepared to enforce compliance when the deadline takes effect.
“We will be at the borders with Immigration. If you say you haven’t heard and you try to bring it out, police officers will meet you in the middle of town,” Sgt. Akornor cautioned.
“We are there to protect lives and property, and if you refuse to protect your own life, we will force you to protect it. We urge our rich importers: stop importing these items and start bringing in healthy alternatives,” he added.
The Deputy Director of the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), Tonsuglo Alhassan, who delivered a speech on behalf of the Regional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, pledged the region’s support for the policy.
“Protecting our environment is a shared responsibility and an essential condition for sustainable development. The convenience of styrofoam comes with environmental costs that require urgent action,” Mr Alhassan said.
He added that the RCC, together with municipal and district assemblies, would support the implementation of the ban and public education efforts.
Mr Alhassan also described the phase-out as an economic opportunity for young Ghanaian entrepreneurs to develop alternatives such as paper-based packaging, bamboo products, glass bowls and sugarcane-bagasse tableware.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) also expressed support for the ban, with Juliana K. Toboyee, an officer of the Ministry’s Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD), highlighting the harmful effects of plastic pollution on agriculture.
Ms Toboyee said MoFA would use its agricultural extension networks to educate farmers on the ban and the proper disposal of agrochemical containers to promote a safer agricultural environment.
As the January 1, 2027 deadline approaches, the EPA is expected to continue its nationwide public education campaign, urging citizens, traders and institutions to adopt environmentally friendly packaging alternatives.