He explained the move is to curb plastic pollution, ensure clean environment and environmental sustainability.

Speaking during an event to mark World Environment Day and government’s ’One Child On Tree’ initiative in Kwabenya, President Mahama described the styrofoam plastic as one of the most dangerous pollutants, hence the need to ban the importation and production of the materials in Ghana, and opt for the use of paper-based packaging for food.

“One of the other things we intend to do is to ban styrofoam as a food packaging material. One of the most pernicious polluters is styrofoam plastic. When you go to buy your food and they put it in that white plastic something, you know, and then you finish eating, you just dump it.

“That is one of the biggest polluters. And so we’re going to ban the importation of styrofoam plastics. We have to use paper packaging or aluminum foil for packaging our food,” the president said.

Styrofoam, also known as polystyrene foam, poses significant environmental problems due to its non-biodegradable nature and the potential for chemical leaching into the environment.

It remains a contributor to pollution, impacting both land and water ecosystems.