Ghanaian manufacturers have been urged to align their product packaging with environmental sustainability practices to preserve and protect the country’s natural resources and environment.

That was the call made by some stakeholders during Afrocet Motengomery’s ‘Propak’ maiden packaging and printing exhibition at the Accra International Conference Centre on Tuesday.

It was organised in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), and the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI).

The speakers said that with the need to tackle climate change issues head-on, it had become important for businesses in the printing and packaging sectors to incorporate waste reduction and carbon emissions into their production.

To this end, Mr. Albert Kassim Diwura, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in charge of Human Resources and Administration at the Ghana Export Promotion Authority, said economic growth and advancements in packaging technologies should go together with eco-sustainability.

He said GEPA recognized the importance of sustainability and environmental stewardship in the production processes of manufacturers in Ghana, hence, its support of the exhibition.

He said such programmes were consistent with efforts by GEPA to support manufacturers to increase their production capacity, while meeting global standards under the National Export Development Strategy, which aims to increase the export earnings of Ghana to $25 billion by 2029.

To achieve the 2029 goal, the Deputy CEO said GEPA would continue to support programmes and initiatives that would boost the capacities of Ghanian manufacturers to increase their production for export.

Mr. Humphrey Ayim-Darke, President, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), also encouraged Ghanaian manufacturers to adopt sustainable practices in the production value chain, including using recyclable materials.

On the part of the association, he said they had been collecting waste, including plastics, and giving it to recycling companies to integrate sustainable waste management solutions for manufacturers who deal in plastics.

“Industry plays a key role in protecting our environment, so, we encourage all manufacturers to use recyclable materials in their production process,” Mr. Ayim-Darke said.

Mr. George Pearson, Regional Director, Afrocet Montgomery, said the exhibition was aimed at supporting Ghanaian-made producers in the printing and packaging sectors to be globally competitive.

“Our objective is to establish Propak as a key support platform for Ghana’s aspirations to increase exports of made in Ghana brand and boost exports in the region and beyond,’’ he said.

He drew the attention of businesses to the opportunities to export to countries in the West African sub-region, Europe, and Asia, all of which required meeting high quality standards and environmental sustainability thresholds.