By William N-lanjerborr Jalulah
At a time plastic waste has become a serious nuisance to human beings and animals, a local recycling foundation, ‘Innovative Creative Foundation Ghana (ICFG),’ has been launched in Bolgatanga, the capital of the Upper East Region, to keep the region clean and provide jobs.
The Foundation aims at getting rid of plastic waste and creating sustainable jobs for the vulnerable and physically challenged in the region, by using plastic waste in place of straw to manufacture items, including baskets, door mats, phone and camera cases.
With the high cost of raw materials to produce baskets which remains a challenge to most women in the basket weaving trade in the region, the ICFG hopes to change the trend by offering an alternative remedy, by providing free raw material, mainly plastic, for some women groups to use in weaving.
Madam Sophia Yuorpore, Chief Executive Officer of Innovative Creative Foundation Ghana, disclosed that the foundation had commenced the training of women’s groups and fan clubs in some selected Senior High Schools in the region on how to use plastic waste to manufacture handbags, jewelry, sandals, dustbins and other artifacts.
The foundation, which started plastic recycling about four years ago, has trained about 1,000 people in the region, as well as the people in the Upper West and Northern regions.
Madam Sophia called on the government and the private sector to embrace the innovation as an attempt to better manage plastic waste in the region, and in the near future, the entire country.
The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Daniel Syme, who was thrilled by the initiative, could not hide his feelings except to commend the CEO for the initiative, and called individuals to patronise her products as they were handy and durable.
Mr. Roger Kanton, Principal Research Scientist of the Center for Scientific and Industrial Research under the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute, said the biggest challenge the country and other African countries faced was plastic waste management.
He, therefore, made a call on the government to support initiatives like Madam Yourpore’s as a means of solving plastic waste problems.