Caritas Ghana, a faith-based non-governmental organization (NGO), has established a recycling plant in the Tamale metropolis.
The plant, which is to reprocess plastic materials into other useful items, is meant to help address sanitation problems in the Northern Region.
The NGO says its plant, being supported by German Development Co-operation under its sustainable management and disposal of e-waste in Ghana, will process 1000 kilogrammes of plastic materials per day at the cost of about GH¢400, 000.
Most Reverend Philip Naameh, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, speaking at the inauguration of the plant yesterday here in Tamale, explained that it would not only address sanitation problems in the area but would also assist in creating jobs for the unemployed youth in the region in particular and the country as a whole.
He remarked that the youth, especially the girls who usually travelled to south for non-existing jobs, would get jobs here.
At least 20 people in the area have already been employed to work at the plant.
Most Rev. Naameh enumerated the instances of efforts the Tamale Archdiocese was making in the area of waste management such as “environmentally-friendly handling of e-waste (excluding soil, air and water contamination) to protect the environment; the creation of legal and formal approaches to address sanitation challenges in the region.
He added that the plant would be addressing two important challenges confronting the country in general and Northern Ghana in particular, namely protecting our environment from plastic pollution, and youth unemployment resulting in rural-urban migration.
Mr Martin Ahorlu, Head of Waste Management at the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly, indicated that sanitation management was a shared responsibility and that it was imperative for stakeholders to assist in addressing the challenges.
He therefore applauded the initiative by Caritas, stressing that it would go a long way to address issues of sanitation in the metropolis, assuring it and GIZ of the readiness of the assembly to support the project to remain sustainable to help clean the metropolis.
Mr Samuel Zam Akologo, the Executive Secretary of Caritas Ghana, the Development Agency of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, said he was very optimistic that the plant would go a long way to reduce flooding and other disasters in the region.
He commended the government and GIZ for their support, stressing that not only would the plant improve sanitation but would also reduce poverty in the area.
Caption: The Vicar General, Very Rev. Fr Matthew Yitiereh, inaugurating and blessing the plant. Those looking on include Mr Samuel Zam Akologo
