Ebenezer Fiifi Emire Atta Mills
ABSTRACT
Due to the high level of increment in electronic waste (e-waste) generated in Ghana, challenges such as disposal of e-waste and level of awareness of related issues have emerged. This paper studies people's mode of disposal, their awareness of environmental and human dangers of the content of e-waste, and their level of awareness of the 2018 Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) technical guidelines and regulations in Ghana. Data was collected through the distribution of questionnaires to stakeholders: 210 household consumers, 93 informal waste collectors, and 81 importers. Likert Scale Analysis was employed as a statistical tool for the analysis of the data. The results indicate low levels of awareness of the 2018 EPA/MESTI technical guidelines and the dangers posed by toxic contents of e-waste. Most respondents practice improper e-waste management by disposing of e-waste alongside municipal solid waste. Respondents express concern for the environment and willingness to import and purchase environmentally friendly electronic products. Recommendations such as mass awareness, environmental education, and enforced legislation were proposed. The practical implications of this study suggest that it will be beneficial for the government to provide easily accessible and adequate infrastructure for the sole collection of e-waste.
- SINHA S. Downside of the digital revolution. Toxics Link, 28, 2007.Google Scholar
- OSIBANJO O., NNOROM I.C. The challenge of electronic waste (e-waste) management in developing countries. Waste Manag. Res., 25, 489-501, 2007.Google ScholarCross Ref
- MUNDADA M.N, KUMAR S., SHEKDAR A.V. “E-Waste: A New Challenge for Waste Management in India,” International Journal of Environmental Studies, 6 (3), 265-279, 2004.Google Scholar
- OTENG-ABABIO M. E-waste: An Emerging Challenge to Solid Waste Management in Ghana”. Int. Development Planning Review (IDPR), 32 (2), 2010.Google Scholar
- HAGELUKEN C. Improving Metal Returns and Eco-efficiency in Electronic Recycling- a Holistic Approach to Interface Optimization between Pre-processing and Integrated Metal Smelting and Refining. In: Proceedings of the 2006 IEEE International Symposium on Electronics and the Environment. San Francisco CA, 218-223, 2006.Google Scholar
- Blacksmith Institute. The World's Worst 2013: The Top Ten Toxic Threats. Available online: http://www.worstpolluted.org/docs/TopTenThreats2013.pdf (accessed on 25th October 2018)Google Scholar
- ASANTE K.A., AGUSA T., BINEY C.A., AGYEKUM W.A., BELLO M., OTSUKA M., ITAI T., TAKAHASHI S., TANABE S. Multi-trace element levels and arsenic speciation in the urine of e-waste recycling workers from Agbogbloshie, Accra in Ghana. Science of the Total Environment. 1 (424), 2012.Google Scholar
- OTENG-ABABIO M., AMANKWAA E.F, CHAMA M.A. The local contours of scavenging for e-waste and higher-valued constituent parts in Accra, Ghana. Habitat Int. 1 (43), 2014.Google Scholar
- PRAKASH S., MANHART A., AMOYAW-OSEI Y., AGYEKUM O.O. Socio-economic assessment and feasibility study on sustainable e-waste management in Ghana. Öko-Institut eV in cooperation with Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) & Green Advocacy Ghana, Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, VROM-Inspectorate, 2010.Google Scholar
- MCELVANEY K. Agbogbloshie: The World's Largest E-Waste Dump-In Pictures. Available online: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2014/feb/27/agbogbloshie-worlds-largest-e-waste-dump-in-pictures (accessed on 25th October 2018).Google Scholar
- OTENG-ABABIO M. The Legal and the Reasonable: Exploring the Dynamics of E-waste Disposal Strategies in Ghanaian Households. Journal of US-China Public Administration. 9 (1), 38-52. 2012. .Google Scholar
- DAUM K., STOLER J., GRANT R. J. Toward a more sustainable trajectory for e-waste policy: a review of a decade of e-waste research in Accra, Ghana. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14 (2), 2017.Google Scholar
- COCHRAN W.G. Sampling Techniques; John Wiley Sons: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 428, 1977.Google Scholar
Recommendations
Case study: ICT use by businesses in rural India: The case of EID Parry's Indiagriline
This case presents the experience of EID Parry, a major sugar manufacturer based in India. The vision behind this initiative was to increase the livelihood of farmers and bridge the gap between rural and urban India by providing a one stop shop for the ...
Evaluation of the implementation of electronic government in Ghana
Poverty and lack of access to technology continues to pose a perpetual threat to Africa’s e-government implementation program. While significant progress in e-government has been chalked, huge disparities remain within and among African countries. ...
Ghana's community information centers (CiCs): e-governance success or mirage?
ICEGOV '09: Proceedings of the 3rd international conference on Theory and practice of electronic governanceFollowing the initial implementation of Information and Communication Technologies for development (ICT4D) projects in rural Africa, many did not yield the anticipated outcomes, and interest has been waning. People then began talking about "sustainable ...
Comments