Socio-economic assessment and feasibility study on - Öko-Institut eV

<strong>Socio</strong>-<strong>economic</strong> <strong>assessment</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>feasibility</strong> <strong>study</strong>
on sustainable e-waste management in Ghana
August 2010
collection <strong>and</strong> clean-up mechanisms of foams stored as boxes or littering on informal
dumpsites. As explained in chapter 4.3.3, these solutions could encompass controlled
incinerations in cement kilns or alternatively, a fully automated CFC-recovery.
� For CFC-destruction, volumes <strong>and</strong> treatment capacities must be aligned. As it is
planned to set up seven recycling centres for step 1 CFC recovery, this would create a
treatment capacity of more than 1500 refrigerators per day 41 . The subsequent CFCyield
would sum up to 300 kg per day, which is clearly overstretching the capacity of
two plasma oven for R12 destruction (each 10 kg per day). Considering this
disproportion, it should be considered to either calculate with a higher destruction
capacity or to deploy a mobile CFC-recovery unit.
4.4 Possible risks <strong>and</strong> unintended side-effects
The business potentials from improved e-waste recycling as analysed in the chapters 4.1 to
4.3 can have multiple positive impacts on the environment <strong>and</strong> the Ghanaian society. Nevertheless,
the business models might also face obstacles <strong>and</strong> entrepreneurial risks. Additionally,
the implementation of the business models might also cause unintended side-effects
that can in turn have negative impacts on the environment <strong>and</strong> the Ghanaian economy.
Although it is virtually impossible to make an exhaustive <strong>assessment</strong> of these risks, the
following collection of issues highlights some foreseeable topics that need to be considered
in the future.
4.4.1 Dangers of negligence of non-valuable fractions
The business opportunities identified in the chapters 4.1 to 4.3 are based on revenues
generated from e-waste fractions with positive net values. These fractions encompass PWBs
<strong>and</strong> IC-contacts (precious metals), copper, steel <strong>and</strong> aluminium. With regard to refrigerators,
revenues could possibly be generated from CFCs via voluntary emission reduction schemes.
Nevertheless, other fractions like plastics or composite materials will not find major markets
within or outside Ghana. Environmentally sound end-of-life management is therefore – at
best – cost neutral. With regard to hazardous components like CRT-glass, PCB-containing
capacitors, mercury switches or ammonia, sound end-of-life management is costly <strong>and</strong>
dependent on additional financing mechanisms.
This issue needs careful consideration in any follow-up activity. If the business models
described above are implemented without additional safeguard mechanisms to care for these
deficit fractions, it is very likely that they will be disposed of in the cheapest possible manner,
disregarding possible risks to human <strong>and</strong> environmental health. One possible finance
41
Usually, one step 1 unit has a capacity of 30 refrigerators per hour. Assuming eight hours operation per day in
seven facilities, this would result in a total step 1 capacity of 1680 devices per day.
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