Ghana-Germany project strengthens capacity to manage e-waste
The third phase of a Ghana-Germany project on Environmentally Sound Disposal and Recycling of E-Waste has ended with a call on stakeholders in the e-waste sector to sustain gains under the project.
The phase which started in 2023 recorded achievements which included the establishment of a nationwide e-waste collection network, the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework, training of more than 500 workers in sustainable e-waste management and the formalisation of the country’s recycling sector.
The project was implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (BMZ), in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST).
Electronic waste
In a speech read on her behalf, the Chief Director of MEST, Suweibatu Adam, said the project had strengthened the country’s capacity to manage electronic waste in a sustainable and economically beneficial way while supporting the establishment of the Greater Accra Scrap Dealers Association and the E-Waste Recyclers Roundtable Association.
She said the project had also provided technical assistance for implementing the country’s Integrated National E-Waste Management Scheme and developing operational guidelines for the E-Waste Fund.
E-waste project
The Head of Cooperation of the Embassy of Germany, Johanna Klotz, said Germany had invested more than €37 million in technical and financial cooperation for e-waste management in the country, making it the largest of such investment by BMZ in any partner country.
She said the project had evolved from a modest technical cooperation initiative at the Old Fadama scrapyard in 2016 into a nationwide intervention that had transformed the country’s approach to electronic waste management.
She said although the project faced setbacks, including the eviction of beneficiaries from the Old Fadama scrapyard in 2021, the partnership remained resilient, and expanded its activities to Kumasi and Tamale while strengthening collaboration with local authorities and formal recycling companies.
Mrs Klotz said the recycling industry had become more diversified and professional, with more recyclers and scrap workers obtaining environmental permits, adopting standard operating procedures and creating value from recovered materials through repair, refurbishment and recycling.
She said the country now had a network of e-waste collection points and dismantling centres across the country, resulting in significantly higher collection rates both within and outside Accra.
Sustainable livelihood
The Project Manager, Christiane Loquai, for her part, said the project was launched at a time when Old Fadama had become synonymous with open-air burning of electronic waste, exposing workers and surrounding communities to hazardous substances while reliable data on e-waste remained limited.
She said now the creation of a permitting system has enabled informal scrap dealers to obtain authorisation from local authorities to participate in incentivised e-waste collection schemes while ensuring hazardous waste was channelled to licensed recycling and disposal facilities.
The Coordinator of the Energy and Climate Cluster at GIZ, Gunnar Wegner, speaking on behalf of the GIZ Country Director, said the programme had demonstrated a remarkable journey of partnership, innovation and shared commitment.
