Derek Ashia Logo, the Area Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Sogakope, has made a call for a national rethink on plastic usage and the implementation of concrete policies to combat plastic pollution.

The call was made as part of the commemoration of the World Environment Day, celebrated annually on 5 June, and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment.

It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, government entities, and represents the primary United Nations outreach day supporting the environment.

World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972. The first official celebration took place in 1973.

World Environment Day is celebrated annually on 5 June and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, government entities, and represents the primary United Nations outreach day supporting the environment.

Each year, one country hosts global celebrations to commemorate the day, and in 2025, the celebrations were held in the Republic of Korea.

The theme for 2025 is BeatPlasticPollution as plastics have polluted almost every aspect of life—seeping into our water, food and bodies.

The theme for the celebrations in Ghana was “Ending Plastic Pollution.”

Mr. Logo noted that while World Environment Day, established by the United Nations, serves to raise awareness about environmental challenges, Ghana must seize the moment to translate awareness into action, especially in addressing the growing plastic waste crisis that threatens both ecosystems and human well-being.

He stated that the southern Volta region continues to face significant environmental degradation due to the prevalence of single-use plastics and the absence of effective collection, disposal, and recycling systems.

He described plastic pollution as “a national emergency hiding in plain sight” and called for a bold and coordinated response from government, industry, and the public.

Mr. Logo said: “The fight against plastic pollution requires both economic and regulatory interventions. He proposed that the government considers the use of environmental taxes as a deterrent to the excessive use of single-use plastics.

Citing international best practices, he explained that such taxes would raise the cost of production and consumption of harmful plastics, thereby curbing their widespread use.

“Plastic bags, which are often distributed freely at retail shops, should carry a surcharge significant enough to deter casual consumption and encourage the use of reusable alternatives,” he suggested.

Mr. Logo advocated for the introduction of pollution permits, under which manufacturers would be required to purchase the right to emit waste into the environment. This market-based system, he said, would limit pollution to levels deemed acceptable by the state and promote innovation in cleaner technologies.

He also recommended a deposit-refund system, where consumers pay a surcharge when purchasing plastic-packaged goods and are refunded upon returning the packaging for reuse or recycling. This approach, he explained, would create incentives for responsible disposal and improve the circular economy.

Mr. Logo revealed that his office is working to replace traditional nursery bags with sachet water plastics — an abundant form of litter in the region — for the cultivation of tree seedlings.

He said these seedlings would be distributed through the government’s “One Child, One Tree” initiative, thereby addressing deforestation and plastic pollution simultaneously.

He called for direct legislation to mandate the use of biodegradable plastics and the phasing out of non-decomposable materials that persist in the environment for decades.

He also underscored the need for mass environmental education and awareness campaigns, particularly at the community level, to promote behavioral change.

The Sogakope Area Office of the EPA donated several waste bins to Total Child International School and Agorkpo RC Basic School at Sogakope with a population of 500 and 1000 students respectively.

From the projections the EPA Sogakope Area office together with Wasteman Ghana would recover about 800,000 sachets bags from the two schools in a year’s time.

“The exercise in the two schools would be the beginning of collection of data on plastic waste in the Area to enforce environmental decision making,” Mr. Logo emphasised.

He stated that his outfit has observed that when bins were given to organizations or institutions to practice waste segregation, they ensure that it was carried out.

However, when it is time for collection, the waste contractors mix up every waste hence purpose for segregation is defeated.

He said that it was therefore stringent that the Authority (Sogakope Area Office) collaborates with Waste man Ghana, a waste off-taker, whose specialty is management of plastic waste to remedy the situation.

Mr. Roger Kofi Gyening, the Co-founder of Wasteman Ghana, pledged his outfits continuous commitment to collaborate with the EPA to ensure that plastic pollution control is intensified.

He said that plastic wastes, when collected, would be recycled and used to manufacture plastic roofing sheets amongst others.

He reiterated that the public should be sensitised on plastic pollution control to ensure a safer region.