EPA not going back on styrofoam ban, urges industry to seize opportunity to innovative   

By Kingsley Webora TANKEH

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has promised to proceed uninterrupted with the absolute ban on single-use styrofoam food packaging, popularly known as ‘take away’.

The environmental regulator therefore urged industry to view the ban as an opportunity for green innovation.

Speaking at the Environmental Sustainability Summit (ESS 2026) organised by Business and Financial Times (B&FT), Senior Programmes Officer-EPA Hope Kotoka Ahiabu noted the ban will unlock new opportunities for businesses. “It creates an opportunity for innovative green entrepreneurship and job creation,” he said.

Single-use styrofoam food packaging, according to him, remains the major contributor to urban litter, choked drains, flooding and coastal pollution. Authorities have mulled calls for an absolute ban on same for some time now, with industry experts cautioning that high cost and scalability of alternatives to be used by thousands of food vendors across the country should not be overlooked.

However, Mr. Ahiabu noted that the EPA is actively promoting sustainable alternatives, including paper-based packaging, biodegradable materials and even traditional leaves for food packaging.

“Some people are using paper bags and packaging food in biodegradable materials. Some are also going back to what we used to do when we were very young, like the leaves for packaging food. It is very good if we can adopt those means of packaging food,” he said.

This comes on the back of an absolute ban on the manufacturing and use of styrofoam food packaging in the country, effective January 1, 2027 as announced by the EPA. The EPA noted this ban forms part of a broader strategy to curb plastic pollution and marine degradation.

Mr. Ahiabu said EPA is engaging stakeholders extensively to prepare industry for the transition. “We are also in the industry, telling them the way forward and how they have to use this as an opportunity to change into something that is more environmentally friendly,” he said.

Beyond the ban, Mr. Ahiabu revealed the authority has expanded its footprint across the country to strengthen environmental compliance, disclosing that EPA has opened 50 district offices so far to improve visibility and access.

He added EPA has also deployed an Integrated Permit Management System to streamline permit applications, cut turnaround times and improve records management. The platform, he said, has “significantly improved the efficiency, transparency, accessibility, and accountability of environmental permits service across the country”.

Mr. Ahiabu said EPA is committed to championing environmental stewardship, noting the authority is also intensifying monitoring of effluent discharge, hazardous chemicals, electronic waste and healthcare waste. He therefore admonished citizens to comply with the ban on open burning to protect the environment.

On the issue of water pollution from illegal mining (galamsey), Mr. Ahiabu called for collaboration, saying EPA alone cannot win the fight. “It calls for a lot of collaboration. It is not a one-man show. A lot of things and people are involved. So if we can all come together as a nation and say no to the pollution and involve ourselves in the fight, we will win the fight,” he said.

The Chief Communications Officer-Jospong Group – owner of Zoomlion, Sophia Kudjodzi, challenged stakeholders to move from rhetoric to measurable climate action.

“Let’s move from paper to projects and practical solutions,” she said.

She noted that the summit’s theme, ‘Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future’, is more aligned to what Zoomlion does – noting that 60 to 70 percent of the group’s operations are directed at solving climate-related problems, including waste collection, processing, transfer and landfill management.

“We are not an NGO; we are a private sector entity so we believe in profits. But we also believe in people; that’s why our mission is improving the lives of people,” he said.

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