Exploring the Dynamics of E-waste Disposal Strategies in Tamale, Ghana

Abstract

Globalised inter-connected world; changing patterns of world standards and norms; and the emergence of consumerism have all drastically shaped the generation and management of e-waste. Cities in developing countries are grappling with developing sustainable strategies to dealing with e-waste and therefore households are compelled to fashion their own disposal strategies. This article examined some of these disposal strategies and the factors that influenced their adoption in Tamale, a growing city in northern Ghana. Data for the study were collected using different techniques including questionnaire survey and key informant interviews. The predominant disposal strategies that emerged were selling e-waste as scrap; donating to other people as gifts; selling as second hand product; disposing with other domestic wastes or combination of any of the strategies. These informal management strategies were influenced by respondents’ age, education level and income. It is recommended that the observed disposal strategies can be articulated in Ghana’s search for definitive e-waste management policies that are environmentally friendly, socially acceptable and economically viable.

Keyword: E-waste, Disposal strategy, Ghana, Recycling, Legislations