As Accra continues to grapple with poor urban planning, indiscriminate construction and plastic waste that contribute to recurring floods, electronic waste is emerging as another environmental challenge with significant economic, public health and regulatory implications.
Although public attention has largely focused on clogged drains and illegal developments, Ghana’s rapidly expanding e-waste economy is highlighting gaps in environmental governance and waste management systems, even as demand for recycled electronic materials continues to grow globally.
Recent research by the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability estimates that approximately 15 percent of the world’s electronic waste is deposited in Ghana, making the country one of the world’s largest destinations for discarded electronic equipment. The study describes an “informal paradox” in which thousands of people depend on e-waste recycling for livelihoods while simultaneously facing chronic exposure to toxic pollutants.
The growth of Ghana’s e-waste challenge reflects a broader global increase in electronic consumption. According to the United Nations, the world generates approximately 62 million tonnes of e-waste annually, yet less than one-quarter is recycled through regulated systems, leaving a significant share to flow through informal recycling networks where environmental and occupational safeguards remain limited.
For Ghana, this has transformed electronic waste into a sizeable informal economic activity centred around the recovery of valuable materials such as copper, aluminium and components from discarded computers, televisions, mobile phones and household appliances.
Mr Larry Kotoe, Deputy Director for Ghana E-Waste Programmes at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), said in 2025, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), that the finalisation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy framework would provide a stronger regulatory framework for managing waste in the country.
He said the EPA expected to “engage stakeholders again in the coming weeks” and was targeting completion of the legal process by the first half of 2026, a move expected to enhance producer accountability and support more effective waste management practices, including the handling of electronic waste.
However, the economic benefits come at considerable environmental cost.
Researchers found that communities surrounding Accra’s informal recycling hubs continue to experience increasing levels of particulate air pollution associated with the open burning of cables and electronic components. Long-term analysis spanning more than two decades indicates that urban expansion around these recycling communities has coincided with worsening exposure to hazardous pollutants, affecting both workers and nearby residents.
The challenge extends beyond environmental degradation.
Informal recycling is a significant source of employment for thousands of young people, particularly migrants seeking income opportunities in the capital. Yet the absence of adequate regulation, protective equipment and formal collection systems means economic necessity often outweighs health considerations, reinforcing what researchers describe as the “trade-off” between livelihood creation and toxic exposure.
Environmental experts argue that Ghana’s waste management conversation should evolve beyond plastics alone to encompass electronic waste, particularly as digitalisation accelerates across households, businesses and public institutions.
The country has made progress through its Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management framework, including the introduction of an eco-levy to support environmentally sound recycling. However, enforcement capacity, collection infrastructure and public awareness continue to lag behind the growing volume of obsolete electronics entering both formal and informal markets.
The issue also reflects broader global supply chain dynamics. Valuable minerals recovered from discarded electronics feed back into international manufacturing, making informal recyclers an often overlooked link in the circular economy, despite operating outside regulated systems. Researchers argue that improving governance requires recognising both the economic contribution of informal workers and the environmental risks associated with current recycling practices.
Ghana’s drive towards industrialisation, digital transformation and sustainable urban development is expected to place greater emphasis on strengthening formal e-waste collection, expanding certified recycling facilities, tightening enforcement against illegal imports and supporting the transition of informal recyclers into safer operations.
Without coordinated intervention, electronic waste risks becoming another silent contributor to urban pollution, placing additional pressure on Accra’s already strained environmental systems while undermining public health and the country’s broader sustainability ambitions.
