The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, is set to commence the construction of a state-of-the-art e-waste recycling facility at Agbogbloshie in the Greater Accra Region.

Estimated at US$30million for the first phase, the facility is expected to recycle all waste electrical and electronic equipment to final products in an environmentally sound manner, relieving the people of Accra and its environs, specifically Agbogbloshie community of toxic pollutants generated from the burning of e-waste.

Francis Bullen Gavor, Project Consultant, said: “Agbogbloshie, in recent times, has been cited among the top ten most polluted sites in the world. It is therefore important to find innovative ways to manage the e-waste generated in our various communities.

With this new facility, harmful elements associated with waste products will be captured and processed safely, thereby preserving critical ecological components,” he said.

Touching on additional benefits, Mr. Gavor indicated that the facility, together with its entire value chain, is expected to generate over 400,000 jobs for Ghanaians. “The facility will hire existing workers of the Agbogbloshie Scrap Yard and others who will undergo in-depth retraining to enable them undertake proper recycling.”

When fully implemented, it will ensure the value-chain management of e-waste and electrical equipment in an environmentally sound manner thus turning the current challenges of e-waste management in the country into green business opportunities for the people of Ghana.