June 15, 2021
The gist:
As end-users and community members, women are Ghana’s primary consumers of single-use plastics. As the main cooks, caretakers, and shoppers for their families, 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions are made by women. They are the primary consumers of plastic bags when they purchase food and household items and as vendors of other plastics to package, carry and sell a range of products and goods. Considering women’s decision-making roles in household purchasing, disposal, and management of waste, they are key actors to consider reducing plastic pollution.
This under-representation within Ghana is replicated all over the world.
The bottom line is that inequality costs. Think about supply chains that could be more efficient and transform product development. And, of course, the environmental costs of not only waste but the economics of waste as well.
Photo: Sudanese / British athlete and activist Asma Elbadawi. Courtesy Adidas
Read the World Economic Forum post here.
