EPA, collaborates with complete second e-waste management system

Ghana has reached a step forward in the sustainable management of hazardous digital waste, after the completion of the next stage of a national programme aimed at structuring and enhancing the country’s e-waste recycling sector.

Dubbed “Sustainable Recycling Industries (SRI Il) Project, it delivered integrated approach that would notably boost the capacity of the nation to manage e-waste sustainably.

The programme, which was implemented by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) through the Ghana National Cleaner Production Centre, would strengthen technical, institutional and strategic plans by developing customized protocols for the environmentally sound management of Used Lead Acid Batteries, a hazardous materials waste.

The phase also expanded business assistance to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), allowing them to part take in safer and more sustainable waste management. In addition, the project put emphasis on the informal sector by offering organized assistance and integrating its workers into structured recycling programs.

It also developed a environmentally responsible electronics recycling unit within the Recycling Technology Curriculum of CTVET institutions, setting the foundation for a skilled workforce.

The project was implemented in partnership with the Mountain Research Institute (MRI), the Institute for Material Science and Technology (EMPA), and the Oeko Institute. It was conducted in partnership with the World Resources Forum (WRF),  with financial assistance with the Swiss government through its State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

At the project’s closing ceremony held in Accra today recently, the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed, highlighted the transformative impact of the initiative on the country’s e-waste landscape. He said when the project started in 2013, the country lacked proper policies and legislation for managing electronic waste, which contained toxic substances such as lead and mercury, posing serious health and environmental risks.

Dr Muhammed stated that “It is worth mentioning the SRI project chart the course for the establishment of framework conditions for the environmentally sound management of e-waste. This resulted in the development of technical guidelines for environmentally sound management of e-waste for the operationalisation of Act 917 and L.l. 2250.”

Dr Muhammed also commended the project for creating more secure employment opportunities for young people,  protecting value chain workers, and supporting both sustainable development for environment and economy.

He reiterated the government’s continued dedication to working with EPA and international partners to ensure e-waste disposal compliance with essential Sustainable Development Goals, encouraging all parties not to see the project through to completion, but as a foundation for continuous effort for a cleaner and safer future.

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