The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology has announced that Ghana will ban the importation, production, sale and use of polystyrene foam pr
The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology has announced that Ghana will ban the importation, production, sale and use of polystyrene foam products effective 1st January 2027.
The caretaker Minister for Environment, Science, and Technology, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah disclosed this in Parliament on Wednesday while answering questions by the MP for Kwadaso, Professor Kingsley Nyarko on specific plans to promote environmental sustainability.
Plastic Waste and Circular Economy
According to the Minister, the government is implementing the National Plastic Management Policy to reduce plastic pollution and promote a circular economy. Key interventions include the establishment of buy-back centres, Extended Producer Responsibility legislation for plastics and packaging, and a multi-stream E-register system for data management on plastics and electronic waste.
An awareness and education campaign on the upcoming foam ban was launched just a day before, with extensive stakeholder engagements ongoing to prepare the value chain for the transition.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is also implementing a plan to phase out plastics in Ghana more broadly.
Environmental Assessments and Monitoring
The Minister said all development projects are now required to undergo Environmental Assessment under Act 1124 and LI 2504 before construction and operation.
The EPA is also collaborating with MMDAs and the National Development Planning Commission to mainstream sustainability into national planning in line with the SDGs.
High-polluting industries have been directed to install real-time monitoring systems under the Ghana Online Continuous Emissions Monitoring System – OCEMS. Air quality monitoring is also being conducted in major cities, with regulation of industrial emissions, noise and water quality standards.
Coastal Resilience
Through the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project – WACA, government is investing in physical, social and nature-based solutions to protect communities against coastal erosion and flooding.
“Through these policies, projects and partnerships the ministry is steering Ghana towards an environmentally sustainable future, protecting natural resources, building climate resilience, promoting green innovation and embedding environmental consciousness across generations,” the Minister told Parliament.
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