His comment is coming at a time when the EPA has decided to take steps to enforce the law on “take-back policy”.
The Acting Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), John Pwamang, has entreated beverage companies to start giving incentives to people who return plastic bottles to them for recycling.
In an interview with Accra-based Joy FM Mr Pwamang said that “it is time to enforce the take-back policy on plastic products by companies which produce them.”
"We have the L.I 2250 which requires that if you produce beverage in plastic you have the responsibility to take the empty bottles back. The regulator which is EPA will have an agreement with them on how much they can take back yearly until all the bottles are collected," he added.
According to Mr Pwamang, there is a huge market for recycled plastics and a system must, therefore, be put in place to collect back these plastics by the companies.
Meanwhile, the government of Ghana has been talking about the banning of plastic in the country. Many have said that this will cause tension in the country.
But Mr Pwamang said that their major challenge is banning sachet which has become a source of good drinking water for communities with polluted river bodies.
"Beverage companies that sell in plastic should consider giving two pesewas on each plastic bottle to whoever returns it. The company can decide to give a Gh2.00 of their products or the money to collect 10 pieces of its bottles from anyone who returned it. This will help reduce the littering we are seeing in the environment".
He said the company must factor the cost into production and not transfer that to the consumer. This he believes will help curb the plastic menace in the country.