Ghana must classify waste as natural resources – Zoomlion boss

The Chief Executive Officer of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, has entreated the government to treat waste as a natural resource in order to boost the country’s economy.

Dr Siaw Agyepong said this at the launch of an Environmental Care Campaign organised by the Church of Pentecost in partnership with Zoomlion.

He argued that the waste management sector will only become beneficial when the government and citizens see waste as a resource to the country, just like oil and gold.

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He added that people will invest into waste management only if they see the sector as a resourceful one.

“In Ghana we have so many resources: like gold, diamond, oil, cocoa and others. Today, God is telling us to add waste as one of the natural resources. And so, I humbly want to plead that government should add waste as one of the natural resources.”

“Waste has a value that we have to look at, and if you look at it in that sense then you will take care of it and campaigns such as this will be beneficial. Waste is cash and a resource,” he added.

He continued that “when you compare waste with oil and gold, you will see that you need so much money to extract and process gold and oil – which have a limited number of years to expire – whereas with waste you need less resources, and waste will never get exhausted in this world.”

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He cited examples of countries that have focused on waste as natural resources. According to him this has changed the fortunes of countries such as Rwanda, Mauritius, and Singapore.

The government of Ghana has had challenges developing a sustainable waste management system for the country. Sometimes residents have to keep their refuse at home past the due date of collection since the collectors have to queue at the dumping sites for days.

According to Dr Siaw Agyepong all these challenges can only be addressed if the government enforces all laws on waste in the country.