Minister calls for better waste management system

STORY BY: EVANS OSEI BAFFOUR

The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Madam Sherry Ayittey, has expressed worry over the present hazardous waste management system in Ghana saying it does not only pollute the natural resources as well as endanger the people’s health but it also misses out on substantial business opportunities in material recovery and recycling.

According to her, the hazardous waste is a special type of waste due to the fact that it cannot be

disposed of by ordinary means like other by-products.

“Therefore, it requires careful management or skilful treatment, depending on the physical state of the waste,” she added.

“The growing consumption of electrical and electronic products leads to an equally proportionate increase in the generation of e-waste that consists of substances such as silver, gold, copper and palladium,” the Minister stated.

The Minister made these assertions during a consultative meeting held in Accra last week towards the development of a Draft Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Bill which was done in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

She intimated that e-waste recycling programme could create value to the recycling sector and contribute immensely to national economy.

Contributing to the bill, she expressed the conviction that the draft hazardous and e-waste Bill was intended to control the management and disposal of hazardous and electronic waste in an environmentally sound manner in fulfillment of government’s obligations under the Basel Convention.

Stakeholders were urged to share knowledge and experiences as well as innovative ideas to turn hazardous and e-waste challenges into socio-economic opportunities for national development and provide valuable inputs towards the finalization of the bill.

The Director in charge of Chemical Control and Management at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mr. John Pwamang, who gave an overview of the draft bill, highlighted that the e-waste has been one of the fastest growing streams with 5 per cent – 10 per cent increases in global e-waste generation every year.

He stated that lead, mercury, cadmium and barium were some of the numerous dangerous chemical found in e-waste, adding that only 30% of electrical gadgets imported into the country are new.

He noted Ghana City waste and Zoomlion have planned to engage in e-waste recycling by using improved methods.

Mr. Pwamang explained that the bill is to domesticate the Basel Convention in Ghana to deal with the hazardous waste and the electrical waste, as well as control and manage the Trans boundary movement of hazardous and electronic waste and their disposal.

He added that the bill is intended to create an electronic waste levy and electronic recycling fund.