Accra Basic Schools Adopt Recycling Initiative

Pupils displaying some products made from plastic waste

Eleven basic schools in James Town, Chorkor, Lartebiokorshie and Korle Gonno, suburbs in Accra have adopted an innovative and sustainable recycling initiative dubbed "CyClean" to assist waste management in their schools.

CyClean, an industry waste recycling initiative has been a brainchild of Vivo Energy Ghana, the Shell Licensee and Environment360, a non-governmental organisation.

Launched on the theme, 'Promoting environmental sustainability; a collective responsibility', the initiative aimed to instil the habit of recycling and waste segregation in children to ensure a clean environment.

A statement issued and copied to the Ghanaian Times said the multiple award winning project which was piloted in six basic schools namely, Nii Kojo Ababio Basic School, A.M.E Zion A, B and C, St. George's Anglican School and Korle Gonno R/C Boys School, saw pupils educated on waste segregation, waste management, plastic and paper recycling.

The statement said the pupils were further taken through other creative activities such as the production of pencil and pen holders and flower vases from plastic materials.

According to the statement, a total of 4.84 tonnes of waste material made up of 3.8 tonnes of plastics and 1.04 tonnes of paper have been collected and recycled during the pilot phase of the project last year.

In a speech read for the Managing Director (MD) of Vivo Energy Ghana, Mrs Shirley Tony Kum, the Corporate Communications Manager, bemoaned indiscriminate plastic waste disposal, especially along the coastal areas.

She said she was optimistic that the beneficiaries would be equipped with the knowledge to tackle waste segregation and management in schools and at home.

"For those of us in the coastal areas, our situation is even worse. Our livelihood is threatened by our own actions. Fishermen go fishing and catch plastics and other solid waste instead of fish.

We believe that by educating our school children on the effects of improper waste disposal and inculcating proper waste segregation in them, it will have a generational effect and reduce the filth in our society," she said.

The Deputy Director, in charge of Management and Supervision at the Ghana Education Service, Mrs Leticia Garr noted that teachers and pupils are better placed through CyClean to address sanitation and waste management challenges that confronted many public schools.

The Executive Director of Environment360, Ms. Cordie Aziz lauded the schools for their commitment and creativity exhibited towards CyClean and pledged to work with Vivo Energy Ghana to sustain the interest of the pupils through the introduction of innovative environmental initiatives.

The statement said that following the launch, the programme has been extended to some schools including, Martyrs of Uganda, SDA, Bishop Mixed, Bishop Girls and Nii Odartey Lamptey Basic Schools, all in the Greater Accra Region.

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