story by: Juliet Obeng Ansah
Walk through any market, supermarket, or shopping center in Ghana, and one thing is certain — you’ll leave with your goods tucked neatly into a plastic bag, locally known as the “rubba tumtum.” For years, these bags have been our go-to for convenience: light, cheap, and everywhere. Yet behind their convenience lies a growing environmental crisis choking our drains, polluting our waters, and endangering our health.
Take a look at our gutters after a downpour — they’ve become graveyards for plastics. The same bags that once held our groceries now block our drainage systems, turning streets into rivers of waste and breeding grounds for malaria, cholera, and other diseases. What started as a habit of convenience has become a national environmental emergency.
Science has long warned us that plastic decomposition is painfully slow. Synthetic rubber bags, which dominate our commercial spaces, are laced with chemicals that never truly disappear. Instead, they break down into microplastics that contaminate soil, water, and even the food we eat. Think of how often we serve hot food in these bags — each time, invisible toxins leach into the meal, turning nourishment into poison. The damage is silent but devastating.
So where do we go from here? The answer could lie in an ancient craft with modern potential — ceramics. Long valued for their durability and safety, ceramics and glass-based materials are used in medicine, construction, and technology. Why not rethink their place in packaging? With research and innovation, ceramic-based containers can become the next frontier in sustainable storage — eco-friendly, reusable, non-reactive, and proudly made from local materials.
Investing in ceramic packaging solutions isn’t just about swapping one material for another. It’s about transforming our economy, empowering artisans, and protecting our planet. It’s about choosing health over harm, sustainability over waste, and innovation over inertia. Ghana’s ceramic industry holds untapped potential to lead a packaging revolution — one that aligns with global climate goals while creating green jobs at home.
The time to act is now. Policymakers must encourage research and provide incentives for businesses to explore ceramic alternatives. Entrepreneurs must seize the opportunity to innovate. And consumers — all of us — must rethink the “rubba tumtum” culture that’s costing us our environment and our health.
Let’s make the shift from plastic convenience to ceramic consciousness. The fight against climate change begins not just with global agreements, but with everyday choices — right from the market stall to the shopping counter.
