Ghana National Cleaner Production Center

E-WASTE MANAGEMENT IN GHANA

BACKGROUND

The increased use of electrical and electronic equipment and the high rate of obsolescence of these equipment leads to an increased generation of e-waste. The alarming rate of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) generation has become a major global concern because e-waste contains hazardous constituents that are potentially harmful to human health and the environment if they are not handled properly. The presence of valuable resources such as copper, gold and platinum however make it attractive to recycle e-waste.

In Ghana, stakeholders in the formal and informal sectors manage the e-waste terrain. Majority of the waste streams are managed by the informal sector, which is made up of a network of collectors, refurbishers, intermediaries and scrap dealers specialized in the manual dismantling under very hazardous conditions.

In order to reduce the disastrous environmental and social impacts of current e-waste management practices and promote sustainable consumption patterns, the Government of Ghana drafted the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Bill in 2012 and was subsequently passed as the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, Act 917 in July 2016.

The act requires among other things that producers and private importers to register with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and pay advance Eco Levy for electronic goods processed or imported. E-waste management in Ghana has attracted international attention from donor partners including the European Union, which over a year has, and continuous to offer financial and technical support to complement the efforts of Government in its bid to create employment in the e-waste sector, while promoting social and environmental sustainability.

E-MAGIN (FROM GRAVE TO CRADLE)

E-MAGIN is a forty-eight month project, which is supported with a grant from European Union. The project is being implemented by the University of Cape Coast, Adelphi (Germany), Ghana National Cleaner Production Centre and City Waste Recycling Limited. The main objective is to improve management of e-waste in Ghana towards Sustainable Consumption Production (SCP).

Specifically, E-MAGIN s to contribute to the effective implementation of the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, Act 917 through the formalization of informal Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), establishment of a collection mechanism for e-waste, build capacity of the MSMEs to adopt best dismantling practices, providing informative support and creating awareness among the key target groups of the action.

Target groups and beneficiaries

The target groups include informal MSMEs in the e-waste recycling