The handling of plastic waste is a significant concern for Ghana, like many other developing nations. Ghana produces more than 1.7 million tons of plastic garbage annually, with barely 2% of it being recycled, according to the World Bank.
The outcome of the inadequate waste handling infrastructure is the buildup of plastic debris in landfills, gutters, and on public roadways. Due to the high expense of garbage handling, this has resulted in environmental damage, health risks, and a loss of revenue.
Many communities have limited information on proper waste management systems. As a result, there is an urgent need to establish a training program/workshop on environmental management systems and techniques with waste management (including hazardous wastes). This is where Eco Buddies Ghana come in.
ECO BUDDIES GHANA is a non-profit group of students from the MSc. Development Management class of 2022- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, IDL.
This group has taken a stance on ensuring the augmentation of proper plastic waste management. It does not end there; Eco Buddies mission is to establish and ameliorate recycling for art in the country. This kind of art aims to create works of art out of waste materials such paper, cardboard, wood, glass, plastic, metal, and rubber. So, the idea extends beyond the traditional recycling of materials by producing items that are more valuable in terms of economics, culture, and society than the original product.
Recycling is important in today’s world if we want to leave this planet for our future generations. It is good for the environment since we are making new products from the old products which are of no use to us. Recycling begins at home. If you are not throwing away any of your old products and instead utilizing it for something new, then you are actually recycling.
When you think of recycling, you should really think about the whole idea; reduce, reuse and recycle. We’ve been careless up to this point with the way we’ve treated the Earth, and it’s time to change, not just the way we do things but the way we think.
ECO BUDDIES GHANA embarked on an environmental sustainability and recycled art project dubbed “THE SANKOFA PROJECT” which sought to educate, engage and empower young students in the cause of eliminate the canker of improper plastic waste management and turn what most people consider as trash into products and artifacts that can generate income and other positive ripple effects.
Why the name “Sankofa”?
Sankofa is A Twi word that loosely translates to, “go back and get it.” Its literal translation comes from the Akan proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosan kofa a yenkyiri,” meaning, “It is not taboo to go back for what you forgot (or in this case thrown away/dumped). Sankofa is a phrase that encourages learning from the past to inform the future, reaching back to move forward, and lifting as we climb. This is why the team strategically chose to name the project Sankofa, to ring in the ears of all and sundry that when the throw away their recyclable waste, they can go back for it and reuse it for something purposeful.
The Sankofa project is targeted at creating awareness of the environment amongst the Ghanaian youth. The training is to equip young people to be able to use materials that otherwise would be termed as waste to reprocess them through creative art to produce all forms of valuable items.
The Sankofa Recycling and Art Project was launched at the Teshie Southern Cluster of Schools in the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly on Friday, 10th March 2023. In three thematic areas, the SANKOFA PROJECT was rolled out; Education, Training and the Eco-Buddies Club formation.
The students were taken through a practical session on how to properly dispose of their waste as well as segregating their waste. They were also enlightened on the 4 “Rs” of plastic waste management which are – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Next, the team set out to train the students through the process of turning waste materials into valuable and useful products such as portable lotion holders, pen/pencil/brush/comb holders, flower pots and beautiful picture arts all using plastic waste.
These items they made could be for their personal use, for aiding lessons in the classroom, gifting to friends and family or even selling them for a profit. It was a wonderful experience observing the students excitingly and progressively come out with all these products coming from plastic that otherwise would have been considered useless.
The Sankofa project was also integral in paving the way and preparing the minds of the students towards the celebration of Global Recycling Day (18th March, 2023).
The Third phase saw Eco Buddies Collaborate with the school teachers for the formation of the “Eco Buddies Recycling for art club” which was established with 32 students of which 6 of them were elected as club executives. The team is to go back to the school in May, 2023 to officially launch the club and provide more tools and educational materials that they will need to function well as well as a system that will ensure sustainability of this initiative.
The District Education Director, Mrs. Theresa Tetteh commended the Eco Buddies Team for such an impactful project geared towards environmental and economic sustainability. Post engagement sessions of the Sankofa project especially with the belief that sustainable development was to ensure that present generations are able to meet their needs without compromising on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Eco Buddies organization is a four-member team comprised of Ms. Baaba Yedua Bannerman, Ms. Hannah Safoa Lartey, Ms. Esther Akosua Agyapong And Mr. Peter Edem Adetor. The team is extremely passionate about the Sankofa Recycling & Art Project towards the achievement of the Global Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
In light of this, they are working keenly on SDGs 3 (Good health and wellbeing) Goal 6 (Clean water and Sanitation) Goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) Goal 12 (Responsible consumption and production) and Goal 13 (climate action) which essentially has ripple effect on some of the other SDGs.
Mackintosh Africa together with a representative from the Trent University, Canada partnered with the team together with to facilitate the trash to treasure training session.
A special appreciation goes to the Ghana Education Service, the Ledzokuku Municipal Education Directorate, the Municipal Coordinating Director- Ing. John Tsikor, the Municipal Education Director- Mrs Theresa Tetteh, all teachers and students of the Teshie Southern Cluster of schools, for their immense support for which without, this project would have been nothing to write home about.
The project was proudly sponsored by Bob Linus Company Ltd., City Spy Technologies, Talent Microfinance Services and Splenda Events and Services.
The team is glad to announce that the pilot Sankofa Project was hundred percent successful and would like to call upon all stakeholders, Local and International Development Cooperation and agencies to come on board as they upscale this movement of finding diamonds in the rough.
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