Let’s devise appropriate e-waste management to avoid hazards – Dr Boohene
A lecturer at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has underlined the need for Ghana to devise sustainable approach to electronic waste (e-waste) management to prevent environmental hazards.
Dr. Mrs. Rosemond Boohene said it was important to envisage what to do with the electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) – mobile phones, radio and television sets “after their useful life”.
The nation is estimated to import about 215,000 tons of EEE annually out of which 170,000 tons are second hand goods with about 22,000 tons being complete waste.
Dr. Mrs. Boohene, addressing a workshop in Kumasi, said it was important to adopt best practices in the collection, sorting, transportation and processing of the e-waste.
The programme was attended by officials of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Town and Country Planning, National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), scrap dealers, electronic and electrical repairers and waste management organizations.
It was organized under the Switch Africa Green project sponsored by the European Union through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).
The UCC has been implementing an aspect of the project, and Dr. Mrs. Boohene said the focus was to create a “one-stop business and policy office” for establishing “eco-innovative micro, small and medium enterprises and to also develop a business model for management of this waste.
It was determined to promote sustainable patterns of consumption and production, reduce environmental and health impacts of improper recycling of e-waste and foster dialogue with decision-makers on policy enabling a green economy in the e-waste management sector.
The University had already carried out an inventory assessment of e-waste generated in Accra, Tema and Kumasi and she said the workshop was going to validate the results of the data collected.
Source: GNA