Tamale, Sept. 20, 2026 —For young environmental advocates in Tamale, this year’s World Cleanup Day was more than an exercise to remove waste from streets. It was a reminder that climate action can begin with something as ordinary as what people eat, what they throw away and where they dispose of it.
The Center for Opportunities and Rural Development (CORD Ghana), together with youth and civil society organisations, marked the day with a community clean-up exercise along the Shishegu Highway on the Tolon-Nyankpala stretch and selected roads within the Sagnarigu Municipal Assembly.
The activity was organised under the theme “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities,” highlighting the relationship between food consumption, food waste, packaging and pollution.
Participants included representatives and volunteers from CORD Ghana, Network of Youth for Climate Action Africa (NYCA Africa), Rural Connect, Savannah Rural Women Voices Assembly (SRWVA), Youth Alliance for Climate and Environmental Sustainability (YACES) and Meek Care.
According to Esther Nyamekye Opoku, Programmes Director of CORD Ghana, the theme encouraged people to examine the environmental consequences of everyday consumption and disposal practices.
She said reducing food waste could contribute to reducing the volume of packaging and other waste ending up in communities.
“World Cleanup Day reminds us that environmental responsibility starts with our everyday actions. When we waste less food, we also have the opportunity to reduce the waste associated with packaging and disposal,” she said.
Madam Opoku called for stronger waste segregation, collection, reuse and appropriate disposal practices among households, businesses, institutions and local authorities.
She also warned that periodic clean-up exercises alone could not resolve Ghana’s waste management challenges without sustained changes in public behaviour.
A generation taking action
The youth participants said young people could not afford to remain spectators in the face of environmental challenges.
Courage Kojo, Capacity Building and Education Lead at NYCA Africa, said the choices people made every day had implications for environmental sustainability.
He encouraged young people to see environmental stewardship as a daily responsibility rather than an activity reserved for special occasions.
Rashida Abubakari of YACES said young people had the numbers, energy and organisational capacity to influence environmental outcomes.
She urged them to translate their concerns about climate change and environmental degradation into practical action within their communities.
The clean-up exercise also provided an opportunity for the participating organisations to promote community ownership of environmental protection.
Their message was that climate action does not always begin with large projects or major investments. It can begin at household level through responsible consumption, reduced food waste, proper disposal and collective action to protect public spaces.
The organisers called for continued cooperation between youth groups, civil society organisations, communities, businesses and local authorities to strengthen waste management and environmental sustainability in Tamale and beyond.
Source: www.climatewatchonline.com
