Mahama: Wooden furniture to be banned in schools

President John Dramani Mahama plans to ban wooden furniture in schools. This initiative aims to combat deforestation and promote environmental sustainability.

He announced this at an event for World Environment Day on June 5 in Accra. The theme was “Restore Our Earth: From Words to Action.” He expressed concern about ongoing logging for furniture production undermining afforestation efforts.

“We have been planting trees and cutting them down at the same time,” he stated. To tackle this issue, he will soon issue a directive against using wood for school desks and chairs.

“We will adopt environmentally friendly alternatives like recycled plastic or metal,” he added. President Mahama also plans to ban Styrofoam importation and production in Ghana. He cited its significant contribution to environmental pollution.

Styrofoam is harmful, especially in food packaging, according to the President. He emphasized the urgent need for alternative materials. Manufacturers and importers should prepare for this policy change.

The Ministry of Environment will soon take steps to formally ban Styrofoam. “One of the biggest polluters is Styrofoam plastics,” he said. “We’re going to ban its importation.”

He encouraged using paper packaging or aluminum foil instead of Styrofoam for food. The Ministry of Environment will soon announce the ban on both imports and local production of Styrofoam in Ghana.