The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), in partnership with Eco Earth Foundation and the Miss Earth Ghana organisation, has launched the ‘‘Waste to Purpose initiative,’’ a transformative campaign to address plastic pollution through creative recycling, female leadership, and community education.

Welcoming guests at the launch of the initiative, the Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, in a speech read by his Executive Secretary, described the initiative as a “transformational call to action” to turn the city’s waste challenges into opportunities for innovation, job creation, and environmental renewal.

He said improper waste disposal and plastic pollution continue to burden the metropolis, threatening public health and sanitation.

“But with partnerships, commitment, and creativity, we can flip the script,” the Mayor stated, adding, “Waste can become wealth. Pollution can become purpose.”

He indicated that the Waste to Purpose programme would empower the youth and women in recycling and promote a circular economy that aligned with Accra’s sanitation goals while commending development partners and sanitation workers whose efforts, he said, were laying the groundwork for sustainable urban resilience.

The Executive Director of Eco Earth Foundation, Ms. Gisela Emefa Gagakuma, said the campaign would combine environmental action with social impact and gender empowerment, adding that the Miss Earth queens from Ghana and other countries had gathered not merely for photo opportunities but to take real action across communities and institutions.

“Our Miss Earth Queens have come here not just to take pictures but to take action,” she emphasised.

Ms. Gagakuma said activities planned for the campaign included visits to schools to teach waste segregation and climate responsibility, community clean-up drives in partnership with the AMA, and the distribution of branded tree seedlings to promote carbon reduction.

She said the queens would also donate blood and visit hospitals to demonstrate that sustainability involved care for people as much as care for the planet.

Miss Earth Ghana 2024, who officially leads the Waste to Purpose Project, Winnifred Esi Sam, shared a personal story about how her childhood near the shores of Saltpond shaped her understanding of recycling, recalling an elderly woman who taught local children to collect plastic sachets, clean them, and transform them into school bags and raincoats.

“I remember wearing those kinds of raincoats to school on rainy days. They were unique, durable, and handled with care... That memory stayed with me and taught me early that waste can be transformed into something special,” she recounted.

She said the project would use creative methods such as eco-friendly tie-dye and innovative recycling techniques to turn “trash into treasure,” while educating communities about the potential of discarded materials.

Miss Earth India 2025, Gauri Gothankar, also addressed the gathering, stressing the urgency of adopting sustainable daily habits.

She shared details of her “Western Wheel” initiative, which encourages practices such as using recycling apps, menstrual cups and reusable cloth diapers.

The event was attended by queen mothers, representatives of civil society organisations, and supporters from the diplomatic community, who commended the effort to inspire behavioural change and promote sustainability as a pathway to economic empowerment and environmental justice.

The Waste to Purpose initiative is expected to run a series of community engagements in the coming months to transform waste management practices and position Accra as a model of innovative and inclusive environmental stewardship