25-year-old plans to provide 20,000 jobs in recycling
A 25-year-old graduate from the University of Ghana, Ms Awurama Kena-Asiedu is set to provide over 20,000 jobs to the youth through her company which recycles and reuses plastic waste to produce quality bags for children.
The company, RAMAPLAST plans to reuse plastic waste which will otherwise be dumped indiscriminately to choke sewage outlets and lead to flooding and epidemic.
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RAMAPLAST's production process involves the collection, segregation, thorough cleaning and sewing of the plastics into school bags.
The ambition of the young entrepreneur is to provide school bags made out of plastics to an estimated 716,300 students in the 16 regions by 2023 while creating jobs for many young people.
“All the processes of making the bags require labour force so this business will help to make good use of plastics, create jobs for the youth and also give school children an opportunity to get good bags for school," Ms Kena-Asiedu said.
“The problem of unemployment will be tackled as small scale industries will be created and many people trained in the various stages of the production process” she added.
She added that the RAMAPLAST project would create a viable rural and urban economy.
Sensitisation
According to her, the RAMAPLAST initiative would see the creation of eco-friendly clubs in various schools in the regions to educate school children on the need to properly manage plastics.
She said the sensitisation drive would also be taken to communities to create awareness on the need to ensure proper disposal of plastic waste.
Ms Kena-Asiedu reiterated that the project was in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) Six and 13 which called for clean water and sanitation and a positive climate action respectively.
In line with this, she urged all people to make a conscious effort to be ambassadors of change in their own small way.
Plastics menace
Ghana is currently experiencing a plastic menace, with almost everything, including food and non-food items, being packaged in plastic, without any elaborate plan in operation to deal with the waste generated after the products have been used.
This is happening at a time when the 10 per cent environmental tax imposed on plastic product producers has yielded close to GH¢1 billion.