AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has involved schools and communities in its catchment in a waste segregation and plastic waste innovation challenge to mitigate plastic waste pollution in Obuasi.

Through walk-and-pick activities and partnerships, the mine has supported teams of young innovators to come up with local innovations that tackle pollution, and ensure environmental sustainability.

The initiatives aligned with nationwide goals of ending plastic pollution, while reinforcing AngloGold’s commitment to environmental stewardship and community-specific solutions.

Ghana generates 840,000 tonnes of waste annually, with only 9.5% recycled.

This indicates the escalating levels of plastic pollution.

With single-use plastics clogging drains and populating the streets of Obuasi, AngloGold Ashanti engaged stakeholders in efforts to create awareness on the urgent need to rethink waste segregation.

Senior Manager, Environment, George Owusu Ansah cautioned against the rising concern of waste pollution.

“Let’s not treat this as mere statistics. These are not just mere numbers, but the evidence of the consequences of how we have handled plastic waste as a country over the years. The widespread use of single-use plastics such as shopping bags, bottled water, and food packaging leads to enormous waste, much of which ends up in landfills, gutters, and open spaces,” he said.

The series of initiatives were under the theme: “Repurpose Plastic Use” in commemoration of World Environment Day, focused on providing a dynamic platform for learning, innovation, and action on plastic waste management.

Schools within AngloGold’s catchment were involved in essay and debate competitions, waste segregation and plastic waste innovation challenge.

There were also walk-and-pick activities involving employees, partners and residents of Obuasi.

Mr. Owusu Ansah indicated that the motive behind the activities was rooted in AngloGold’s commitment to ensuring a safe and sustainable environment.

“AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine has always been alert on our commitment towards environmental stewardship, hence we align ourselves with the resolve by the rest of the world to stem the tide of plastic pollution. It is for this reason that, together with our partners, we lined up impactful activities targeted toward sending a solemn message on plastic pollution,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Obuasi municipal officer for the Environmental Protection Authority, Daniel Kyei, is admonishing residents to avoid or reduce single-use plastics.

“It is the duty of all of us to in our way reduce the wastes that are expelled into the environment. Even buying food stuff from outside, we can request for only one plastic rubber than take three just to wrap a single food item bought. We need to go back to the time when mothers went to markets and farms with their woven baskets to fetch food, and we had nothing to worry about plastics,” he said.

This year’s commemoration was climaxed with a stakeholder durbar and awards ceremony.

Obuasi Secondary Technical School, TI Ahmadiyya, Fomena and Asare Bediako SHS were awarded for their outstanding plastic recycling innovation, placing first, second and third, respectively.

Apagya Senior High School and Owusu Sampa Basic School also won the debate and the waste segregation challenge respectively, in the basic school category.