Ghana: Poison or Poverty - the Impossible Economic Choices Facing Ghana's E-Waste Workers
Agbogbloshie, a major e-waste site in Accra, Ghana, is home to around 6,000 informal workers who dismantle and recycle electronic waste. While this work provides some income, it exposes workers to severe health risks due to toxic pollution from burning and chemical extraction methods. The situation highlights a global injustice where wealthy nations benefit from recycled materials while vulnerable communities suffer the consequences.
- ▪Agbogbloshie is one of the world's largest e-waste sites, processing around 62 million tonnes of electronic waste annually.
- ▪Informal workers in Agbogbloshie face significant health risks from toxic pollution, including increased exposure to harmful particulate matter.
- ▪The informal economy provides better income opportunities for some workers, but at the cost of their health and environmental safety.
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Agbogbloshie, in Ghana's capital city, Accra, is a sprawling, open-air scrapyard located next to a lagoon and a growing informal settlement. Roughly 6,000 people dismantle, recycle and burn old and broken electronics there. The world produces approximately 62 million tonnes of electronic or e-waste every year. The Agbogbloshie site is one of the world's biggest. E-waste is old, broken and thrown away electronic devices with cords or batteries, such as cellphones, household appliances, and televisions. Over 80% is dumped in landfills or processed informally by workers who have no health and safety protections, operating largely without government oversight, support, or occupational safety.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at AllAfrica.
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