Due to a lack of waste management infrastructures, Ghana has a severe plastic problem, so severe that it is considered one of the ten most polluted countries in the world. 73% of the raw plastic imported in the country each year ends up as waste, which then contaminates soils, water, and air. Such a linear product cycle highlights the lack of circular initiatives in the Ghanaian economic arena. This can derive from a lack of initiatives both at the government level and the civil society level, as well as due to a lack of financial resources to implement alternative waste management mechanisms. In both scenarios, foreign direct investments (FDI) could potentially play a decisive role.

Even though FDIs do not always enjoy a positive reputation, they sometimes boost positive changes within developing countries’ societies. For example, GRIPE, with its aim to advocate for improved waste management practices, connect various organizations working to create an improved waste management system, contribute to increased collection and recycling rates countrywide, and provide employment opportunities through scalable recycling solutions could be considered as a fundamental initiative to solve Ghana’s plastic waste problem

Supported by the financial power of multinationals like Coca-Cola, Guinness, and Unilever, GRIPE is for Ghana a precious resource to use for research into new possible waste management strategies as well as for implementing concrete and directly enforceable projects. Among other projects directly supported by the GRIPE, it is worth mentioning the construction of recycled plastic of public toilets and of hygienic services in a primary school of the Ashanti region. Such a successful outcome can be taken as proof of the successful action