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Background. The global discourse on plastic waste generation and disposal has over the last two decades, gained traction with the aid of research-based evidence. Though observed globally, the situation is quickly deteriorating in developing countries such as Ghana. In Ghana and Africa as a whole, rapidly increasing population and rural to urban migration have been cited as factors that exacerbate the existing struggles with plastic pollution. This study aimed at identifying the determinants of unsafe plastic waste disposal among households. Methods. The study was carried out in three communities in Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana. Data were collected from 270 randomly selected households through household surveys, key informant interviews, and direct field observations. Results. The study revealed that the majority (63.3%) of the total respondents used and disposed of their plastic waste “unsafely.” The analysis showed that the education level and household wealth were significant determinants of unsafe plastic disposal. Conclusion. The study concludes that challenges of plastic waste management are not limited to economic, technical, and institutional factors, but social factors such as human behavior are key aspects of waste management that need attention. The study, therefore, recommends strict enforcement of sanitation by-laws, promotion of education, and provision of alternatives to plastics that will minimize the need for importing and manufacturing plastics, as potential steps towards addressing unsafe disposal of plastics in the domestic environment.

Small and Medium Forest Enterprises are considered promoters of local development and growth due to their contributions to over 50% of forest-based employment in some countries like Brazil, Uganda, and India. Despite the many potentials of these enterprises, their operations go unchecked, which poses a serious threat to the sustainability of tropical forests. This study highlights the characteristics of SMFEs and the impact of SMFEs on sustainable forest management in Ghana from a survey of 80 randomly sampled enterprises in seven communities in the Amenfi West Municipality in Ghana. Data was gathered using structured questionnaires and key informant interviews and analyzed with statistical tools in SPSS version 25. The findings show that 71.25% of the SMFEs are not registered with the appropriate authorities like the Registrar General’s department and the Municipal Assemblies. In addition, 55 (68.8%) of these enterprises have a direct dependency on the forest for raw materials with 21.8% of this number claiming to have obtained the needed permits/licenses to harvest the raw materials they need from the forests. For 91.25% of the enterprises, factors such as resource availability and profits drive their activities and 8.75% are driven by access to labor and job creation. The analysis showed that belonging to an association is a significant determinant of business registration at p = 0.001. Forest policies must seek to promote sustainable management of forest resources by enforcing registration and permit laws. SMFEs must be consistently monitored and supervised to ensure that their activities are guided by policy and their compliance rewarded through capacity building and government support.