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

86
August 2010
<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
Develop appropriate finance mechanisms
Although the net material value of some e-waste types can contribute to cover the costs for a
sound management of low value <strong>and</strong> hazardous fractions, the example of CRT-devices
shows that it will be very difficult to achieve environmentally sound end-of-life management
without additional financing mechanisms. One solution could be the implementation of the
principle of extended producer responsibility (EPR) by raising a fee for every e-product
entering the Ghanaian market through import. As in Ghana, the dem<strong>and</strong> for e-products is
widely covered by the import of second-h<strong>and</strong> goods, this fee would also be applicable to the
importers of this equipment.
The fees could either be distributed to the e-waste recyclers or be used to facilitate sound
end-of-life management options, such as the establishment <strong>and</strong> maintenance of a disposal
site for hazardous waste.
This financing mechanism should also take into account the likelihood that resource prices
can fall to levels that make material recovery of e-waste unattractive from an <strong>economic</strong>
perspective. In this case, sufficient financial resources must be available to further ensure a
proper end-of-life management of whole e-waste.
Provide solutions for locally generated hazardous waste
There is currently no infrastructure like cement kilns, waste incinerators <strong>and</strong> hazardous
waste disposal sites for the management of hazardous waste in Ghana. Nevertheless, such
infrastructure is indispensable to provide local solutions for hazardous e-waste fractions.
Therefore, Ghana should strive to develop such infrastructure in line with local <strong>and</strong> national
development efforts. In particular, establishing a well managed hazardous waste disposal
site should receive priority as it could provide end-of-life management solutions for many
hazardous waste fractions simultaneously. As mentioned before, the costs for establishing
<strong>and</strong> maintenance could partly be covered by appropriate e-waste financing mechanisms.
Regulate the import of used products
The socio-<strong>economic</strong> survey clearly revealed that the refurbishing of e-products is an important
<strong>economic</strong> sector in Ghana. Besides providing income for an estimated 14,000 to 24,000
people, it helps to supply the Ghanaian society <strong>and</strong> industry with affordable second-h<strong>and</strong>
equipment. As this sector sources a large percentage of its devices from Tema harbour, it is
inevitably interwoven with the transboundary trade of used <strong>and</strong> end-of-life e-products. The
trade currently comprises all, functioning, non-functioning but repairable, <strong>and</strong> non-functioning
<strong>and</strong> non-repairable equipment. Although a complete ban of all second-h<strong>and</strong> imports seems
inappropriate, Ghanaian decision-makers should define a clear boundary between the types
of equipment acceptable, <strong>and</strong> those types <strong>and</strong> qualities unacceptable for imports.
Besides reducing the volumes of imported hazardous waste, this measure is also considered
to be a pre-requisite for the long-term success of international recycling co-operations: