Supporting Ghana to introduce a sustainable E-Waste Management System
Background
In recent times, growing prosperity in Ghana has enhanced technological advancement and helped to bridge the digital gap with developed countries. In addition to changing consumption patterns, population growth has contributed to an increase in the volumes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) in the country. E-waste is known to contain both valuable and hazardous fractions. So far, Ghana does not have an efficient e-waste and recycling sector and its improper handling can pose health and environmental threats.
The Government of Ghana has recognized the challenge, and developed the "Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act 2016 (ACT 917)", creating the legal framework for a more sustainable management of e-waste.
Challenges & Opportunities
Currently, resource-recovery from e-waste in Ghana is almost exclusively informally organized. It provides a livelihood for many, but also contributes negatively to the environment and human health. The Old Fadama scrap yard, better known as Agbogbloshie, lies in the Greater Accra Region and is well-known internationally for informal recycling methods. Materials that cannot be sold are burnt or dumped. Scrap workers in Old Fadama are often unaware of the indirect and direct consequences, which occur locally as well as globally. Informal practice gives this sector a competitive advantage towards formal recycling enterprises, which have to follow standards put in place for the protection of human health, safety and the environment. So far, conditions for sustainable and socially responsible management of e-waste are not adequately developed. However, there is great potential. Ghana currently achieves collection rates of 95% of its e-waste and the informal sector generates employment and income for many; in particular unskilled relegated youth from northern parts of the country.
Objectives
The objective of the programme is to improve the conditions for sustainable management and disposal of electronic waste in Ghana.
Approach
The programme provides three fields of activity which reflect three levels of intervention:
- Policy Advice: Facilitating the improvement of political conditions to create an appropriate legal and administrative basis for the proper collection and recycling of electronic waste.
- Business Models: Developing and introducing sustainable business models in the formal sector to support the establishment of a sustainable e-waste recycling industry.
- Informal Sector: Institutional and individual capacity development on the Old Fadama scrap yard in regards to appropriate recycling and management of e-waste to avoid health and environmental risks.
Furthermore, communication and networking will be executed as a cross-cutting multi-stakeholder dialog.