The Ghana Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM) launched the Ban of Single-Use Plastics (SUP) campaign in 2021, calling for legislation to prohibit 10 of the most common and environmentally harmful SUPs, including black polythene bags, plastic shopping bags, straws, Styrofoam containers, and water sachets. An item is Single-Use Plastic (SUP) if its original design within a life span was for it to be used once, irrespective of whether it is recycled or thrown away.
SUPs throughout their life cycle are a scourge to the environment and pose serious risks to both biodiversity and public health. They are also environmental hazards that increase flood risks in our communities, towns, and cities. Which is why, through our campaign, we have been demanding that the Government of Ghana enforce a ban on SUPs and invest in the Research and Development (R&D) of environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives.
The campaign is grounded in the belief that reducing plastic pollution requires a combination of policy approaches that include legislation and regulatory approaches (such as imposing a ban), scaling of sustainable alternatives, working with industry to improve design models, and influencing consumption and behavioral change through mass public education and community engagement.
The Campaign has 3 SMART Objectives:
- Influence national policy towards a ban of specific SUPs by working with a coalition of organizations towards sustained advocacy and collective influencing.
- Raise awareness of the harms of SUPs through outreach and storytelling, educating the public to reduce their plastic footprint.
- Promote environmentally friendly alternatives that are locally accessible.
Some of the main activities and outputs of the campaign are:
- Policy influencing dialogue and meetings with key state actors such as Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation (MESTI).
- Research publication on the sustainable alternatives of SUPs
- Community sensitization durbars in marketplaces such as Kaneshie market and Accra Tema station
- Documentaries on small businesses producing ecofriendly sustainable alternatives
- Extensive street and beach clean-up exercises with diverse organizations
- Art workshop and installation to raise awareness of beach and ocean pollution
- Mobilizing public action through our online petition. You can sign the campaign petition here: https://www.change.org/BanSingleUseGH_Petition
The campaign is currently being supported by IUCN Netherlands, Wilde Ganzen, A Rocha Ghana and, West Africa Civil Society Institute (WASCI) until the end of September 2025.
How Far We’ve Come
GYEM Engages EPA on Single-Use Plastics Ban in Ghana
In the early parts of 2025, we held a meeting with Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), to discuss the urgent national conversation surrounding the proposed ban on single-use plastics in Ghana.
The discussion focused on the environmental impact of plastics, the need for sustainable alternatives, and the role of young people in driving change. GYEM also stressed the importance of a just transition that protects livelihoods and promotes innovation.
The EPA expressed its commitment to working with stakeholders like GYEM to shape effective and inclusive policies. GYEM will continue to lead youth advocacy for a cleaner, plastic-free Ghana.
World Environmental Day Press Conference
On World Environment Day, the Ghana Youth Environmental Movement, in collaboration with GH Environment and A Rocha Ghana, hosted a press conference at the Ghana International Press Centre under the theme: “From Actions to Policy: A Roadmap to Ban Single-Use Plastics in Ghana.”
This event marked a major milestone in our ongoing #BanSingleUseGh campaign.
This roadmap is built on 5 demands.
- First, we propose a phased ban, starting with plastic bags, straws, stirrers, styrofoam (takeaway containers), food wrappers, plastic cutlery, cotton buds, coffee cups and beverage bottles.
- Secondly, we advocate for incentives for businesses involved in the production of sustainable alternatives to enable them to scale up their productions.
- Third, we call for capacity-building and resourcing of local authorities to enforce plastic bans and improve waste segregation.
- Fourth, we demand the inclusion of young people and community voices in decision-making processes.
- Finally, we are developing a public accountability mechanism to track government and corporate commitments toward plastic reduction.
As we mark this year’s World Environment Day, we call for a collective action against single-use plastics. We call on policymakers, especially MESTI, EPA, and Parliament, to treat plastic pollution as a national emergency. We commend the EPA for its recent commitment to ban single-use plastics in designated areas and were pleased to reaffirm our support for this position during a recent visit to the EPA Chief Executive.
However, we hope that this stance will be backed with action and the necessary legislation to arrive at an outcome consistent with what GYEM seeks: a ban on single-use plastics. We urge them to fast-track the legislative processes required to ban harmful single-use plastics. GYEM is ready to mobilize grassroots support to make this legislation practical, inclusive, and enforceable. Read the full press statement here: https://bit.ly/4jPA7i9