President John Dramani Mahama has announced a bold new environmental policy proposal: a complete ban on plastic takeaway packs in Ghana.
The move, he said, is part of a broader strategy to combat plastic pollution and protect public health.
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Speaking at a public forum on Thursday, June 5, 2025, during the launch of the 2025 national tree planting exercise, Mahama criticised the widespread use of single-use plastics—particularly takeaway food containers—calling them a major threat to the country’s ecosystem and urban cleanliness.
Plastic takeaway packs are commonly used by food vendors across Ghana, but they often end up in open drains, waterways, and landfills. Environmentalists say these packs take hundreds of years to decompose and contribute significantly to flooding and marine pollution.
Mahama emphasised that under his proposed plan, there would be a transition period to allow vendors and businesses to switch to eco-friendly alternatives, such as biodegradable packaging or reusable containers
Describing Styrofoam as one of the most harmful pollutants, particularly due to its widespread use in food packaging, the President stressed the urgent need for alternative materials.
Mahama said “One of the most polluters is Styrofoam plastics, where you go and buy your food, and they put it in that whitish something, and you finish eating, you just dump it. That is one of the biggest polluters. And so, we’re going to ban the importation of Styrofoam plastics.
“We have to use paper packaging or aluminum foil for our food. I’m informing the manufacturers and importers of Styrofoam that the Ministry of Environment is soon we are going to ban the importation of Styrofoam and production of Styrofoam in Ghana.”
