Winner of YRE competition in Ghana 2017

The winning report was submitted by: Aminata Fall, Flavian Opoku, Lisa Gyamera, Persis Doosogla, Stephanie Esinam Nyidu from Akosombo International School, after their eco-school camp held in March 2017.  Photo by: Mrs Margret Ayernor

YRE stands for Young Reporters for the Environment, and is a program run by FEE who also runs Eco-Schools. Young Reporters, aged between 11 and 21, investigate environmental issues and problems and propose solutions through investigative reporting, photographic or video journalism. Eco-Schools Ghana runs YRE in Ghana, and will this year for the first time enter the international competition with our national winners from Akosombo International School. You can read more about the competition here. You can read their report that will be submitted for the international YRE competition below:

Our Waste and Litter is choking Ghana

By Aminata Fall, Flavian Opoku, Lisa Gyamera, Persis Doosogla, Stephanie Esinam Nyidu from Akosombo International School

The Environmental Protection Agency in Ghana has made it clear that waste management is one of our biggest problems. This is due to an increased population. In our everyday life, we produce waste. - But are we thinking of the effects of the waste we produce on the earth? The improper disposal of waste has a serious and dangerous impact on the earth and living things of the earth. For example garbage thrown in the streets and in open areas can cause health hazard; litter and waste dumped into water bodies such as lakes, lagoons and seas can contaminate these water bodies and it inhabitants; rubbish that is burned openly in countries like India and Ghana releases harmful and toxic gases into the atmosphere depleting the ozone layer; some litter dumped in drainage systems make their ways to sewerage systems blocking pipelines and chocking gutters leading to floods like we have seen in Accra. Garbage dumped in the country side is not simply an eyesore but also ruins the entire land, atmosphere, water bodies and living organisms. This has to change, and you and I are the solution.

The Nature of waste

It is a fact that most cities with high population produce a lot of waste and litter. In most cities such as Accra, Bombay and the rest have a lot of litter in the open space, drainage system and what not. This is because in these cities, people produce a lot of waste and the more the individuals, the more waste and litter produce making management and disposal zero effective. Ghana produces 2800 metric tons of waste a day according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

These are some pictures from the the way our environment is gradually becoming. Because of the little things that we do such as littering, dumping of waste into water bodies, improper burning of waste and leaving waste on open land. Waste can be liquid or solid, hazardous such as batteries and organic such as leftover food. A primary objective of waste management today should be to protect the public and the environment from potentially harmful effects of waste. Some waste materials are normally safe, but can become hazardous if not managed properly. 

The methods we have adapted have become very dangerous to our environment. Instead of getting rid of waste efficiently, it is polluting our environment. These methods have brought about air and water pollution and also land degradation.

For example, one gallon of used motor oil can potentially contaminate one million gallon of drinking water. The first human did not worry about waste management. They simply left their garbage where it dropped. However, as the world evolved and humans become more open minded and decided to effectively dispose of their waste. These ways they have adapted have become dangerous to the environment. There are for basic ways of managing the waste worldwide:Dumping it,  Burning it, Finding another use for it and Waste prevention

 Ways by which we currently dispose of our waste and litter and their effects on the environment.

By the American Veterinary Medical Foundation, waste is everything that no longer has a use or purpose and needs to be disposed of right.

Individuals including you and I are conscious of our environment and so we manage to dispose of our waste. Do you know that, the ways in which we treat our waste affects the other aspects of our environment badly? These activities include:

1.      Dumping of rubbish in drainage system chocks the city

Most of the individuals especially in cities get rid of their unwanted rubbish by disposing them off in drainage systems and open spaces. These wastes get into the sewerage systems choking pipelines and gutters causing flood in our various homes and communities. Toxic chemicals can filter down through a dump and contaminate groundwater. The liquid that filters through a dump or landfill is called leachate.

2.      Burning of waste is burning our health

Most people burn their rubbish in open air. But this way of managing our waste is very deadly. Burning of these waste releases harmful and toxic fumes into the atmosphere. These toxic fumes have their own side effects. This includes depletion of ozone layer, health hazard to our respiratory system, pollutes the atmosphere and also destroys fertility of the land. Some American cities began their garbage in the late nineteenth century in devices called cremators. These were no very efficient.

3.      Dumping of rubbish in water bodies is dumping of rubbish on our plates

The dumping of waste does not just take place only on land. In most countries, example Ghana, our water bodies are full of garbage. Reason is we dispose of majority of our sewage in the sea. Ocean dumping, in which barges carry garbage out to sea was once used as a disposal method by some United State coastal cities and is still practiced by some nations. This contaminates the sea and other water bodies. Living organisms living in the sea face danger. Some of these waste products, especially from hospitals and laboratories contain dangerous chemicals which become very harmful to these organisms. It is a fact that, in the ecosystem we depend on some living organisms for food, and in this case, the fish and other creatures from the sea serve as a source of food. The harmful chemicals poison these organisms and also make them poisonous to us when we eat them. Some of these organisms that dwell in these water bodies may die. Most people, who live in the rural areas, tend to dispose of their garbage close to water bodies. This garbage finds their way into the water, polluting it.

 

               Photo 1. From internet, 2. YRE photo walk

4.      Littering; you may think it is small but all together it literarily chock us

Litter is a disorderly accumulation of objects or carelessly discarded refuse such as waste paper. This is the most common way by which individuals dispose of their rubbish. In cities with high population density, littering is common. Some people litter everywhere, on the beach, in market places and other public places. There is an adage that, ‘little drops of water makes a mighty ocean’. We may start littering our environment and very soon our environment will become an eyesore and our environment will not look like a place for human beings to live in. the little things that we do which we think does not affect the environment will definitely have an effect later. This include, littering of the package of a lollipop, throwing away the small rubber sea of a bottle and throwing little pieces of paper on a school compound. This leads to breeding grounds vermin and bacteria.

In both cases, waste and litter can be used for some activities and the useless ones can be disposed of properly. In most countries, for example when we use paper, they dispose it, but in actual fact, the paper can be recycled into toilet paper.

Proper and efficient ways of disposing our waste whilst protecting our environment at the same time is possible

Individuals and organizations have come up with the idea of recycling. The question, is recycling very effective till date? Do people find it convenient to separate their litter before disposing it? Are recycling companies doing their part in efficiently recycling our waste in other not to cause public health hazard? We would throw more light on the efficient ways of disposing and managing our without jeopardizing the environment. Give a hoot; do not pollute. Lend a hand, care for the land!

Reduce waste.

You can easily help reduce waste being produced: Use cloth bags or reusable bags and containers when shopping, traveling. Choose products that are reusable. Shop second hand. You can find great used and used clothes at low cost to you and the environment. Buy items made up of recycled contents. Buy in bulk rather than individual packages, this will reduce packaging and save you a lot of money. Pack leftovers for lunch. Don’t be the one that others must clean up after.

Recycling and segregation.

We always hear of recycling and we always link it to industries recycling bottles and other waste. In actual fact, recycling starts from us the individuals. The question is, what do I do as an individual to recycle my waste? This all starts from self-discipline. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling waste is just 30%. We can start by separating our rubbish. We can have different bins containing different rubbish. For instance, we can have a paper bin, plastic bin and organic bin. What do we benefit from separating our rubbish? If we have a bin full of bottles, it is easier to disinfect it and use it for other purposes. Paper can be sent to toilet paper making industries to produce toilet paper. In our homes, instead of using oil to fry foods, we can use the fat from the food (chicken), if necessary to fry the food.

 

Photos by Mrs Hilde Opoku and Mrs Margaret Ayernor from another Eco-School in Akosombo separating their wast and sending it for recycling at a toiletpaper factory

In most times, in our homes we throw away things that have become old fashioned and purchase new ones. Some of the clothes can be sewn into other useful things such as bags and can be even used as decoration.

Landfill

The landfill is a popular and favored approach when it comes to waste disposal. Landfill is when the waste is being buried in the land. This waste must be properly dealt with and then buried. Usually, wastes that do not decompose or are difficult to recycle are buried. Most countries which use the landfill method do not do this effectively because they leave it on the land and birds come and pick some of the waste and send it around making our environment dirty. It is better to create a big indent in the land and fill it with the waste rather than leaving it on the bare piece of land.

Composting

This is the most easiest and effective method of effectively managing our waste. Organic waste can be used as compost for farming to improve the fertility of the soil. This can be used for large scale farming or backyard farming instead of the use of fertilizers which tend to make our food unhealthy. It is high time we make organic waste into organic food. Let us try composting in our homes too.

Incineration

In Ghana we like to burn our rubbish or waste in open air which is not 100% efficient. Therefore, it is better to burn rubbish in an incinerator, which will not pollute the fumes that come out. In Norway, we learnt that when they burn their rubbish, the hot fumes which is emitted is used to heat water which is sent to a lot of homes for use. We can also, burn our waste and instead of leaving the fumes to pollute the environment, we can use it for something more beneficial such as heating water or even used to generate electricity.

The challenges for Waste management companies in Ghana

Most waste management companies face a lot of challenges such as lack of waste infrastructure, inadequate finance, lack of the government’s intervention apathy on the path of individuals of the society. Due to these problems, it makes it look as if the waste management companies in our country are not doing their best. Therefore, we plead with the government and individuals to help these waste management industries in terms of finance and resources so that they can work effectively.

In our opinion, it is not too late to rectify this problem. Just know that change comes from the individual and not the Government. But we should enforce the government to improve the infrastructure for waste management. If we want real change then we should start by changing our attitudes towards how we dispose of our waste. Let us do the right thing and be each other’s keeper. Let us work together to keep the environment save for our future generation!

References

·          2016 Encyclopedia.com

·         Teachenginering.org

·         2016 Today’s news paper; Qualtek Ghana

Photos by:

·         Mrs Margaret Ayernor

·         Mrs Hilde Opoku

·         Sandra Abena Opoku

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