Savannah Regional Minister backs EPA’s Styrofoam ban campaign ahead of January 2027 deadline

Savannah Regional Minister Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu has thrown his weight behind the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) campaign to enforce Ghana’s nationwide ban on Styrofoam products, describing the policy as a necessary intervention to protect public health and the environment.

He has called on religious leaders, traditional authorities and community leaders to mobilise public support for the ban, urging Ghanaians to abandon the use of polystyrene food containers and embrace safer, environmentally friendly alternatives ahead of the January 1, 2027, implementation date.

The minister made the call in Damongo on Monday, October 26, 2026, during the launch of the EPA’s week-long public awareness campaign across northern Ghana.

The campaign seeks to intensify public education and secure widespread compliance ahead of the ban, with the EPA taking its message directly to traders, food vendors, consumers and other stakeholders.

Addressing a gathering of traditional authorities, market representatives, religious leaders and officials from various public institutions at the Damongo Community Centre, Mr Be-Awuribe Issifu described the ban as a policy that deserves collective support rather than political controversy.

He argued that the environmental and health risks associated with Styrofoam products make the intervention necessary and said its implementation should not be delayed.

“I am in full support of this Styrofoam ban. For me, the ban should have even been implemented like yesterday. The ban is no doubt a policy that will help address the health and environmental challenges associated with its use, and I am happy that the EPA has brought its first public awareness campaign in the north to the Savannah Region,” he said.

The minister stressed that the success of the policy would depend largely on public understanding and a willingness to change long-established consumption habits.

He therefore appealed to imams, pastors, reverend ministers and queen mothers to use their influence within their communities to educate the public on the dangers associated with continued reliance on polystyrene food packaging.

“Imams seated here, pastors and reverend ministers seated in this hall today, and you the queen mothers, use your platforms to propagate the Styrofoam ban message. Educate your followers to appreciate the dangers of the continued use of Styrofoam,” he urged.

On her part, Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority, Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, who led a high-powered delegation from Accra, called for a return to traditional food-packaging practices that reduce dependence on single-use plastic foam products.

She urged Ghanaians to revive the practice of carrying their own food containers when purchasing meals from vendors, describing it as a practical step towards reducing exposure to potentially harmful substances and limiting environmental pollution.

“Let’s go back to the olden days when we used to go out to buy food with our own bowls. This is one of the most sustainable ways to avoid eating chemicals into your system,” she said.

Professor Browne Klutse also encouraged consumers and food vendors to explore plant-based packaging materials, including plantain leaves, as alternatives to polystyrene products.

“You can use plantain leaves and other plant-based packaging materials that do not have adverse impacts on your health. That is the message from the EPA,” she added.

The EPA chief executive is leading a coordinated campaign involving regional directors and other officials across the northern belt to strengthen public education, engage key stakeholders and build support for the impending ban.

The authority is targeting communities, markets and institutions to ensure that the January 1, 2027, deadline is widely understood and that consumers and businesses have sufficient awareness to prepare for the transition.

The Damongo engagement followed a massive public awareness float through the principal streets of the regional capital on Monday morning.

EPA officials visited lorry stations, markets and other busy public spaces, interacting with traders, food vendors and consumers to explain the objectives of the ban and the need for collective action.

The exercise culminated in a stakeholder durbar at the Damongo Community Centre, where representatives of the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service, market associations and traditional authorities joined the EPA to discuss the policy and its implications.

Several speakers at the gathering expressed support for the ban and pledged to help promote the behavioural changes needed to reduce the use of polystyrene products.

The stakeholders emphasised the importance of sustained public education in ensuring that the policy translates into practical changes in how food is packaged, sold and consumed across communities.

Following the Damongo engagement, the EPA delegation is scheduled to move to Wa on Tuesday, October 27, to continue the awareness campaign in the Upper West Region.

The programme will include a courtesy visit to traditional authorities, an engagement with the regional minister, interactions with market vendors and a grand durbar to deepen public understanding of the ban.

The northern campaign forms part of the EPA’s broader effort to mobilise nationwide support and prepare businesses, consumers and other stakeholders for the January 1, 2027, implementation deadline.

With the deadline approaching, the authority is stepping up its engagement with communities to ensure that the transition away from polystyrene food packaging is understood not merely as a regulatory requirement, but as a collective responsibility to safeguard public health and the environment.