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EPA announces ban on styrofoam products Effective January 2027
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The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has announced that the production, importation, sale, distribution, and use of polystyrene foam products, popularly known as Styrofoam or takeaway packs, will be banned in Ghana effective January 1, 2027.
The announcement was made in a statement issued by the Authority on May 25, 2026.
According to the EPA, the directive follows a policy announcement made by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2025 World Environment Day celebration on June 5, where he declared government’s intention to ban Styrofoam products as part of efforts to fight plastic pollution and protect the environment.
The Authority said the ban will apply to all forms of expanded polystyrene foam products used for commercial and human activities.
These include food packaging containers, disposable cups and plates, takeaway packs used by restaurants and chop bars, foam mattresses, ceiling and insulation materials, as well as packaging and cushioning materials.
However, the EPA noted that polystyrene products intended for medical, scientific, laboratory, and diagnostic purposes will be exempted, subject to regulation.
The Authority explained that the policy forms part of national efforts to improve environmental sanitation, protect public health, reduce plastic pollution, and promote sustainable development.
It therefore urged manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, food vendors, hospitality operators, and other stakeholders to begin transitioning to safer and environmentally friendly alternatives before the directive takes effect.
The EPA said it will embark on nationwide public education and stakeholder engagements during the transition period leading to January 2027.
According to the Authority, it will also strengthen monitoring, inspections, and enforcement measures to ensure full compliance with the directive.
The EPA added that it will work closely with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, port authorities, customs officials, and industry regulators to enforce the ban across the country.
The Authority further called on the public to support the initiative by adopting sustainable consumption practices and using reusable and recyclable packaging materials.
“Protecting the environment is our collective responsibility,” the statement said.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Deputy National Women Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mimi Duah, has openly declared her support for Mavis Hawa Koomson as the next National Women’s Organiser of the party.
In a statement endorsing Hawa Koomson’s candidature, Ms Duah outlined four key reasons why she believes the former MP and Minister of State is best placed to lead the party’s women’s wing.
According to her, Hawa Koomson is a motherly figure who rose from the grassroots and is widely noted for her forgiving nature and ability to foster unity.
“She is a true grassroots mother who easily forgives, fosters unity, provides guidance and arbitrates to ensure all aggrieved party women are brought on board to ensure a unified women’s wing,” she stated.
Ms Duah also pointed to Hawa Koomson’s vast experience, having served as a Constituency Women’s Organiser, Member of Parliament and Minister of State, noting that the experience positions her to provide effective leadership as National Women’s Organiser.
She further described Hawa Koomson as capable of making the women’s wing resourceful, through her extensive network and business contacts, to lobby for logistics, training and financial support for women organisers at all levels.
Lastly, she said the NPP as an opposition party needs fearless, bold and assertive leadership at the women’s front to inspire regional, constituency and polling station women organisers as the party reorganises towards the 2028 elections.
“We need a Women’s Organiser who has been tested, who is bold, who understands grassroots women, and who can lead us to victory in 2028. Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson is that leader,” she stressed.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister inaugurates Ghana-Korea Heritage Project Steering Committee
Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has inaugurated the Ghana-Korea Heritage Project Steering Committee to provide strategic oversight for a five-year programme focused on preserving Ghana’s heritage sites and strengthening their resilience to climate change.
The project will support climate-risk mapping, digital surveying and 3D modelling, joint research, capacity building, community engagement and modern monitoring technologies.
Korea is also providing specialised equipment, including drones, 3D scanners, digital microscopes, thermal imaging cameras and GPS survey instruments, to enhance Ghana’s capacity to scientifically assess, document and conserve heritage structures.
The partnership, which will run through 2030 and beyond, is expected to deepen Ghana-Korea cultural ties while promoting sustainable, technology-driven and climate-adaptive heritage management for future generations.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
