As the world intensifies efforts to tackle the growing menace of plastic pollution, AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine has emerged as a trailblazer in Ghana’s private sector, championing bold and practical solutions to reduce plastic waste in line with this year’s World Environment Day theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution.”
Capping off a series of activities to mark the global observance, the Mine held an engaging environmental forum that brought together traditional leaders, environmental regulators, students, and company staff in a united front to address the country’s plastic crisis.
In his keynote address, Acting Managing Director of the Mine, Mr. Abraham Osei Badu, emphasized the urgency of the plastic pollution threat, citing alarming statistics. “According to the World Bank, about 86% of Ghana’s waste stream is made up of plastic, with over 250,000 metric tonnes ending up in the Atlantic Ocean annually. Globally, 8 million tonnes of plastic leak into our oceans each year. If left unchecked, by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the sea.”
Faced with this dire reality, AngloGold Iduapriem has implemented a range of forward-looking interventions. Chief among them is the October 2023 ban on single-use plastics at its operational sites—a significant move that eliminated items such as takeaway packs, disposable cups, and plastic cutlery from company canteens and restaurants.
In addition, the Mine has rolled out a recycling programme supported by the strategic placement of collection bins across its facilities. Waste segregation at source is now mandatory, ensuring that plastics and other recyclables are properly sorted and channeled into reuse systems.
Mr. Badu urged all participants to become ambassadors of change. “Take what you’ve learned here today and share it. Let us all be part of the solution—starting from our homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.”
The forum also featured insights from environmental experts who underscored the hidden dangers of plastic contamination. Mr. Emmanuel Inkoom, Assistant Programme Officer at the EPA in Tarkwa, warned about the health risks posed by microplastics, which are absorbed into the tissues of fish and other marine life.
“You may think choosing fish over red meat is healthier, but you could be consuming plastics through that very fish. The impact on human health is real,” he cautioned.
Miss Priscilla Agyemang from the Water Resources Commission’s Ankobra Basin office praised AngloGold’s actions as a model for corporate environmental responsibility. She noted that while such initiatives often face resistance, they are essential to preserving water bodies and ecosystems.
“When plastics infiltrate our rivers and groundwater, it’s not just aquatic life that suffers—our entire water quality is compromised,” she explained.
As part of the broader commemorations, the forum served as a rallying call to other companies, institutions, and individuals to follow Iduapriem’s lead. It emphasized that sustainable change is possible when action moves beyond talk to tangible impact.
World Environment Day, observed annually on June 5, provides a global platform for raising awareness and spurring collective environmental action. This year, AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine has shown that the private sector can and must play a central role in building a cleaner, more sustainable future.
