Pollution is the release of certain substances into the environment at a level which is detrimental to man and other living organisms. Plastic bags have become so common in Ghana that they can be found from the deepest part of the Gulf of Guinea to the top of Mountain Afadjato (the highest Mountain in Ghana), from the Ashaiman main lorry station to Ejura Farms, from the Mole National Park in the Northern Region to the Kumasi Zoo, from the campus of the University of Cape Coast to the compound of Mognori Primary School in Bawku, from the shores of Lake Bosomtwi to the estuary of the Korle Lagoon (Bola Beach), from the maternity ward to the cemetery, just to mention but a few. Indeed, plastic bags have become nuisance in Ghana; thus, a major pollutant all over the country and this is a source of great worry to many Ghanaians. In fact, polythene or plastic bags have become an integral part of our lives. What will you buy in Ghana which is handy and it will not be placed in a plastic bag for you? From porridge on the street corner to a novel in a bookshop, meat at the meat shop to perfume at the supermarket, all these are delivered to consumers in plastic bags. Why plastic bags and not any other? This is simply because plastic bags are very cheap, easy to handle and convenient. Despite this, one cannot deny the fact that plastic bags are causing serious environmental pollution. The phenomenon of sachet drinking water or pure water or mineral water has also come to aggravate the whole situation. Many who drink sachet water anywhere in Ghana are most likely to leave the plastic bag behind right there. For who to come and clean the mess? Only God knows. Over the years efforts by many basic school authorities to instill the discipline of proper waste disposal in pupils has not yielded the desired results. Plastic bag pollution has come about in Ghana as a result of the rapid urbanization. This has contributed heavily to the blocking of both underground and opened drains which often creates heavy flooding in our cities and towns at the least down pour. In some parts of Ghana where there are very large open drains, women during the rains are often seen dumping their domestic waste which are usually full of polythene waste into the drains thinking they are disposing them off. Indeed, all these refuse cannot be consumed by the drains. It only ends up blocking them, resulting in flooding. These floods are usually, accompanied by the loss of lives and properties all over the country. Railway lines are sometimes not spared in all this humanly induced flooding; which have great economic implications. In addition, these choked drains create a very conducive atmosphere for the spread of waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery, among others. And these health risks can drive away potential tourists and investors to the country. The choked drains also serve as fertile grounds for the breeding of mosquitoes which aid in the transmission of malaria fever; as a result, the government has to spend several millions of dollars annually in the importation of anti-malaria drugs which could have been spent on infrastructural development and expansion for the betterment of the livelihood of the people. Sometimes the outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera can lead to the loss of lives which cannot be replaced. Several millions of Ghana Cedis are spent annually by all Municipal and District Assemblies in waste collections and disposals which are composed largely of plastics, at the expense of developmental projects. According to the European Union Environmental Commissioner, Janez Potocnik, “The impact of this plastic wastes can be seen littering our landscape, threatening our wildlife and accumulating as 'plastic soup' in the Pacific Ocean, which may cover more than 15,000,000 sq km." Research has shown that marine turtles are dying in their numbers upon eating plastics which looks similar to their favourite food (the jellyfish), this ends up blocking their digestive system culminating in their deaths, other domestic animals such as sheep and goats are also facing a similar risk. Preserving our marine lives such as turtles is very critical because it can generate more foreign exchange as tourists come in to observe turtles on our beaches at dawns. Fishermen in Ghana instead of having a bumper catch of fish often catch plastic wastes due to ocean plastic pollution. Non-biodegradable plastics also have a potential to threatened farmlands. According to research, plastic has a live span of over 400 years, as it lies in the soil it hinders the effective growth of plants’ roots, it also interferes with the natural workings of mineral elements within the soil leading to poor soil fertility and reduce crop yields. When plastics are burnt they emit gases such as methane and carbon dioxide that cause global warming. The European Commission in 2010 reiterates that only 6% of plastics generated in Europe was recycled, with the rest being thrown away. In Ghana the statistics on recycling may be way back below one percent, hence an outright ban on plastic bag may be the best option. Furthermore, recycling of plastics is quite expensive and during the process unfriendly environmental gases may be released into the atmosphere, unless it is an eco-friendly plastic. Developed nations like Italy (the first country in Europe to ban non-biodegradable plastic bags), Germany, Japan and China have all banned plastic bags. European nations like Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Norway have introduced plastic tax to raise fund into an Environment Fund to be used to reduce waste or research new ways of recycling. Ghana can emulate from other developing countries such Somalia, Botswana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, among others, which have placed an outright banned on plastic bags. Although in Uganda the ban has been largely ignored, in many of these cases the outright bans have proven to be very effective. The impact of plastic bags on the lives of livestock such as camels has led to the United Arab Emirates banning all plastic bags except oxo-biodegradables. An examination of the guts of many domestic animals in abattoirs in Ghana revealed quantities of plastics stocked up in them, which were ingested during feeding. This can lead to the deaths of such animals with time. The option of the use biodegradable plastics is worth considering; we have corn biodegradable plastics that decomposes in landfills but releases methane gas into the atmosphere which largely contributes to the phenomenon of global warming. The other biodegradable plastic is oxo-biodegradable which breaks down upon exposure to air or water but does not break down in landfills. An outright ban on both the importation and manufacturing of polythene or plastic bags in Ghana is the best option to safe guard our environment, and to protect lives and properties against floods. Banning plastic bags may lead to some job losses in the country, but government can come out with a policy outlining some measures put in place to deal with this challenge of job losses. For instance, a definite time frame can be given to all plastic manufacturing companies in the country to convert to paper bag manufacturing or bio-degradable plastic manufacturing companies. The United Nations Environment Programme posits that the plastic problem is now "on the agenda of almost every African country". The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) should draw a few lessons from her sister economic union (the European Union) and come out with a common platform for all ECOWAS member states in combating the problem of plastics, since plastics can be carry by ocean currents, rivers and winds from one country to another, rendering the good efforts by a member state in fighting the menace plastic useless. The calls by eminent personalities such as His Excellency, Vice President John Mahama, Mr. Kwame Pianim and Honourable Hackman Owusu Agyemang, and other environmental non-governmental organizations such as Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, Friends of the Earth, etc are very laudable and this must not be left to go on heeded to. The government must rise to the task. Plastic Manufacturing Companies have their interests to protect but this cannot be bigger than the national interest. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Presidential Debate Committee for the year 2012 Elections must prominently feature the issue of banning plastics and the way forward. Political parties’ manifestos for this year’s election should feature the issue of resolving this plastic menace. The time is at hand that Ghana and ECOWAS must say farewell to plastic bags and adapt an environmentally friendly bags to help save lives, property and our environment. By Iddi Z. Yire (a social commentator) Box 576, Tema, Ghana. Email: iddi_yire@hotmail.com Mobile: +233-570898511 / +233-277388075.