E-waste Ghana Lot 3: Enhancing capacities of informal sector stakeholders & payment system for e-waste

Ghana – and in particular the scrap yard of Old Fadama (also known as Agbogbloshie) – is internationally known as one of the major hotspots for unsound e-waste management. The issue has been addressed by a number of national, bi- and multinational initiatives, as well as a number of civil society organizations. Despite these efforts and constant progress, e-waste management is still far from being environmentally and socially sound in Ghana. One core problem is the fact that informal sector recyclers are focusing their efforts on fractions and materials with a positive net-value (mainly copper, ferrous metals, aluminium and printed circuit boards), while other components (such as plastics and Pb-glass) are discarded, burned directly or used as combustion agent (e.g. polyurethane foam from fridges, or tyres). This leads to an externalization of costs (extreme pollution) and a situation where environmentally sound recyclers (who do not externalise costs) have difficulties in competing with informal collectors and recyclers. The Ghanaian-German cooperation on e-waste started in December 2017 and encompasses all these aspects and therefore has the unique opportunity to significantly improve e-waste management and recycling in Ghana. This Lot specifically addressed the organizational capacities of informal sector stakeholders (mostly scrap collectors and recyclers) and the piloting of an incentive and payment system that channels e-waste into sound recycling.