The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr. Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, says Ghana will ban the use of styrofoam by January 7, 2027, as government intensifies efforts to deal with plastic pollution and its health implications.

She made the announcement on Tuesday, October 14, 2026, when she opened the CSIR scientific conference in Accra as Special Guest of Honour. 

The conference was on the theme “Harnessing Science, Technology and Innovation for Sustainable Development”.

"You epitomize what the theme is about. Harnessing that knowledge that you all possess, being able to translate the amazing innovations and research you have, linking it to industry, making sure it guides policy. All of these are part of why CSIR exists,” Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings told the researchers.

The Minister challenged CSIR to bridge the gap between Science and industry by building strong partnerships with the private sector to become commercially viable and sustainable beyond government salaries.

"Sometimes the accusation, which sometimes is true, is that scientists don't know how to sell themselves. But why should you? That's why we have the marketing department. That's why we have the commercialization units. So that you can focus on why you became a scientist in the first place."

"We should really be looking at the kind of partnerships that make you commercially viable and sustainable, so you can determine your own future,” she said.

Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings tasked CSIR to research plant-based alternatives to plastics, specifically cassava and hemp.

"What are the alternatives to plastics that we can use? Plant-based. Whether it's cassava or hemp. And I'm throwing this out there because by the 7th of January, we're banning styrofoam. But that's just the first step in the whole journey of how we change our way of life," she stated.

According to her, a styrofoam ban alone will not solve the plastic mess, microplastics in the food chain or the leaching of toxic chemicals into water stored in plastic bottles under Ghana's intense heat.

"We keep our plastic bottles everywhere in the heat and we then drink these bottles of water that now have chemicals that have leached into them. And then the impact on our kidneys and our various organs and then we're seeing the knock-on effect further down in the hospital.”

"Sometimes we're not able to make the dots because we're being told drink more water. But if you're drinking more water that is contaminated, you will make yourself sick,” she warned.

She urged the researchers to develop a material that looks like plastic, behaves like plastic, holds its structurebut breaks down into harmless residue after use and goes back to nature.

Pointing to CSIR's own branded bottled water at the event, she asked: "This is CSIR water, right? Can we look at the next phase which will perhaps be the first in Ghana to be using bio-alternatives to plastic as our bottles?"

She assured that such innovation will be commercially viable because demand for bottled water is endless and water companies will buy an alternative that protects health.

The Minister urged scientists to consider Ghanaian context in their innovations, citing research that made chocolate not melt easily in Ghana's heat.

She also cautioned on food fortification research, saying when nutrients like Vitamin A are increased in staple foods, the public must be advised on recommended daily intake to avoid over-consumption.

"How do we advise the public and say, don't consume more than three tubers of this particular product, because we have fortified it?...If we are specific that way, it means we are understanding our audience," she noted, adding that guidance on products is for outliers who don't fit the normal bell curve.

On Artificial Intelligence, Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings said while she is excited about technology, AI needs human governance and oversight.

"We have had a lot of reports of AI entities going rogue. Deciding, you said I should learn how to break some of these systems. So they escape the system that they're in and go looking for a system that claims to be impeccable and see if they can break it."

"We have to be mindful that AI is moving so fast and so far ahead of us. Things that would take us perhaps years, AI is now able to do within days, weeks, and in some cases, within a few seconds."

She referenced the UN's 11 norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace and called for similar rules for AI to protect critical systems like ICUs, research labs and gene-editing work.

"I would want you as the researchers to have the ultimate say in how the sequencing is done, what the final product is, what the ethics are.”

She added that Ghana, which has not yet given all systems to AI, still has an opportunity to safeguard before unleashing AI.

The Minister disclosed that the conference portal recorded 321 submissions and registrations including 194 proposed presentations comprising 101 oral presentations, 74 posters and 19 virtual presentations, plus 127 registered attendees. 

The papers span food security, natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, health and biotechnology, digital transformation, data and impact evaluation, energy and climate change, and sustainable infrastructure.

"This is very encouraging because it spans all sectors. That is what CSIR is supposed to be. You are at the heart of everything. All agencies, all of government, all of industry should be tapping into you," she said.

Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings stressed her Ministry hopes to institute a “Scientist of the Year Award” for its agencies to celebrate excellence and make researchers role models for children.

"I would like for us in the Ministry to be able to showcase our scientists, to say what you do. We want our children to know who you are and that you are the role models.”

"We want them to know that even under CSIR, there's so many institutes and you have people who specialize in crop research, soil, water, animal research, all sorts of interests that people don't know about."

She also called for a compilation of CSIR innovations and research that private sector partners can easily access for commercialisation and hinted at funding support through the Government National Research Fund including resources from the Fair Wages Commission and other sources to support human capacity and financial needs of researchers.