Plastic waste menace in Ghana, a serious threat to marine ecological diversity

Abstract

Plastic pollution is a major environmental concern due to the severe threats it poses to both terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The ocean health index for Ghana showed a consistent decline from 2017 to 2019 from a score of 63 to 59. Ghana is ranked 188th out of 221 exclusive economic zones worldwide. The annual imports of raw plastic materials are estimated to be 2.58 million metric tonnes and about 73% of the total plastic imports end up as waste materials. Plastic recycling represents an insignificant 0.1% while re-use plastics represent 19% of the total imported plastic materials. The analysis showed that the daily average solid waste generated per head in Ghana is 0.47 kg and it sums up to an estimated 12, 710 tonnes per day for the population. In the marine ecosystem, plastics waste becomes entanglement capable of causing injuries and fatalities to some marine species. Low recycling techniques coupled with improper solid waste disposal by the populace in coastal communities contribute significantly to marine pollution.