The minister-designate for Environment, Science, and Technology, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, believes that banning the use of plastic materials in the country without first finding a an alternative is not advisable.
The nominee argues that the eradication of plastic usage can only be achieved once suitable alternatives are found.
To him, imposing an immediate ban was not prudent, as this could lead to other unexpected challenges.
“You don’t just ban something because there is a challenge. You need to look for alternatives. If you don’t have alternatives and proceed to impose a ban, the consequences may be dire,” he said when asked how he would address the country’s plastic waste challenges during his vetting in Parliament on Thursday, 30 January.
“What I think I would do is conduct a comprehensive study on the issue, identify the alternatives, and explore how we can support our domestic industries to develop reusable containers.”
He said, “These are measures that other countries have taken. Rwanda didn’t just ban plastics; they implemented strategies to stabilise the system before moving forward with the ban.”
“I believe that is the approach I would take,” he emphasised.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
