According to Nana Efua Ababio, Chief Executive Officer of the National E-waste Fund, Ghana’s effort to convert its waste management into a circular economy depends on an effective and efficient recycling industry.
In order to cope with garbage, particularly in the e-waste industry, she said it was necessary to increase the capacity of recycling companies and establish an enabling environment.
Speaking while on a working visit to the recycling facility Electro Recycling Ghana in Accra, Mrs. Ababio remarked that many items that the general public would typically consider rubbish were actually resources that could be used to create a variety of products under different brands.
The visit was part of efforts by e-waste stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the workings of a few chosen recycling facilities, comprehend the difficulties, and choose the best ways to assist them.
According to a study, around 97% of the management of e-waste in Ghana is now done informally, allowing toxins to infiltrate the land, air, and groundwater.
Almost 50 million tonnes of e-waste are thrown away annually, according to a report by the UN’s Forum for Advancing the Circular Economy and UN E-Waste Coalition that was published this year. By 2050, the number is anticipated to double.
The ability of the nation to formalise the e-waste sector, according to Mrs. Ababio, would produce financial benefits, create jobs, and safeguard the environment by employing e-waste to create reusable things.
She promised that her company would work with all pertinent parties to increase recyclers’ ability to handle e-waste.
Mrs. Ababio praised the Electrical Recycling Ghana Foundation for its commitment to the circular economy and pushed them to develop new goods using what are currently considered to be waste resources.
According to Mr. Jeffrey Adongo, Innovations Manager at Electro Recycling Ghana, the company would generate over 10,000 televisions in 2022 and offer them for sale at competitive pricing.
The company produced power banks in the same year to power electrical and electronic devices such as laptops, televisions, electric bicycles, and irrigation systems.
The Waste Control and Management Act is a good law, but Ms. Cornelia Stolzenberg, Head of Programme, GIZ E-Waste Project, emphasised that the difficulty with legislation was a better framework for its execution.
According to her, a methodical strategy was required, in which the government would enforce the laws to ensure their execution.
Ms. Stolzenberg emphasised that in order to dispose of hazardous fractions, the private sector needs to possess the necessary technical know-how and capabilities.
According to her, since the private sector required technical assistance, the government must help it financially and in terms of licences and land titles.
According to Ms. Stolzenberg, the GIZ E-Waste Programme coordinates the recycling of e-waste in Ghana by working with the Environment Ministry and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
