E-MAGIN embarks on Electronic Waste Management Awareness campaign in Technical Schools

Students in Technical and Vocational Schools in Ghana, courtesy, E-MAGIN, are receiving some capacity building in electronic waste management, so as to curb their hazardous effect to both human life and the environment.

An awareness campaign has since been launched by E-MAGIN in the Greater Accra and Eastern Regions of Ghana, targeting young people undergoing vocational and technical training and other skill training, on how to safely dismantle, re-assemble and create innovative products out of the various fractions they were able to isolate.

The outreach, essentially exposes the students to the concept of circular economy by focusing on basic techniques in handling e-waste; hammering also on collection, storage, dismantling, recycling and disposal.

Again, the programme sort to arouse the interest of the students in business and career opportunities available in the e-waste value chain in Ghana. The improper management of the e-waste and its hazardous effect on the environment and eventually on the economy of Ghana was also highlighted.

A Member of E-MAGIN team, Vivian Ahiayibor, speaking to the media on the side-line of the training programme at the New Century Career Training Institute indicated that, as part of its activities, the consortium is helping the informal businesses and associations in the e-waste sector to formalize their businesses so they could benefit from the provisions of the Act 917 when it is fully implemented.

She also stressed that, capacity building programmes in business fundamentals and occupational health and safety would also be undertaken to the strengthen businesses in the informal sector. She was happy with the fact that the students offering programmes in computer science, electronic engineering, home economic and electrical engineering were all enthusiastic to learn more and even desirous of creating products, which could be beneficial to businesses in the e-waste value chain.

“The students were young and if they grasp the best practices in e-waste management in their youthful age they could help drive creativity and innovation badly needed in the e-waste sector” she said.

Training Facilitator and National Focal Point for Adelphi Research (Germany), Ebenezer Kumi reiterated that e-waste management had been a major challenge because research work had shown that only 20 percent of dismantled components of gadgets accounted for 80% of the generated revenue by businesses in the sector with the remaining 80 percent of the fractions becoming a problem for the businesses to dispose off.

The Assistant School Prefect, New Century Career Training Institute, William Asiamang, expressed his profound gratitude to the E-MAGIN tean for the e-waste awareness programme.

“Myself and  colleagues have learnt how to dismantle some electronic equipment, effective disposal of e-waste and also how we could make some money out of e-waste” he emphasized.

He mentioned that, they were now well informed and would not discard their non-functioning electronic gadgets indiscriminately or sell them to unlicensed scrap dealers.

“We can now dismantle and isolate valuable components which we could sell to the appropriate stakeholders in the e-waste value chain. We will also share the beneficial knowledge we have acquired with ourfamily members and friends so they could also handle e-waste appropriately” the School Prefect stressed.

About E- MAGIN

European Union Sponsored E-MAGIN Project Embarks on Effective Electronic Waste Management Awareness Programmes in Technical Schools

In August 2016, The Government of Ghana passed the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, 917 as well as the corresponding Hazardous, Electronic and Other Wastes (Classification), Control and Management Regulations 2016, Legal Instrument (LI) 2250 in January 2017 to regulate the management of e-waste in Ghana. Together these national instruments stipulate the duties of various stakeholders with respect to every undertaking in the field of collection, storage, transportation, treatment and final disposal of e-waste in Ghana.

E-MAGIN is a 48-month project, which is supported with a grant from the European Union to promote efficient management of electronic waste in Ghana.   It is being implemented by the University of Cape Coast, Adelphi, Ghana National Cleaner Production Center and City Waste Recycling Limited. The consortium had as part of its work packages embarked on a sensitization programme in Technical and Vocational Training Institutions in the country to create awareness on how to effectively and profitably manage e-waste and also reduce the adverse impact on environment and health arising out of the polluting technologies used in recycling e-waste in the informal sector.