EPA to monitor institutions’ e-waste management

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to commence a special exercise to monitor how corporate institutions and stored and managed their e-waste to ensure environmental safety.

The move is to guarantee that electronic gadgets such as laptops, mobile phones, air conditioners, fridges and microwaves are disposed of by the right people at the licenced facility.

Where the Agency’s officials have reasons to believe that the waste gadgets posed danger and nuisance to the environment, EPA will move in to take inventory and ensure that the institution pays for the gadgets to be disposed of safely.

Dr Henry Kokofu, the Executive Director of the Agency, announced this at an event to outdoor a pilot project to collect hazardous and e-waste for safe management and disposal by experts.

The project is a joint venture between the Environmental Protection Agency and Excellent Waste Management, which seeks to help clean-up e-waste, create jobs and boost revenue.

The EPA Executive Director said the pilot project was part of a grand plan to continue to spearhead the fight against environmental pollution as mandated by law to among other things guide development to prevent, reduce, and as far as possible, eliminate pollution and actions that lowered the quality of life.

Dr Kokofu said the EPA as part of the pilot project would take up other initiatives in the area of plastic waste collection and scrap metals to practicalised the circular economy idea.

On the new project, he said already, institutions, including the Electoral Commission and the Electricity company of Ghana sought the services of the Agency to safely manage and dispose of old electronic gadgets.

Dr Kokofu said the pilot project would be implemented nationwide to sustain the effort at Agbogbloshie, which earned the country an unenviable name as the country with biggest e-waste yard globally.

He mentioned that the idea was to acquire more trucks and dispatch to Tema, Sunyani, Takoradi, Tamale, Koforidua to ensure that e-waste was properly disposed.

The Director said institutions that would like to engage the services of the Agency should reach out to them via letter or call.

Mr Samuel Asiamah, the General Manager of Excellent Waste Management, said the proper management of e-waste would help clean up the environment for the next generation.

He stated that the Company would work diligently to ensure the success of the project.

According to the GIZ, 95 per cent of electrical and electronic waste was collected but both collection and recycling were organised largely informally.

Source: GNA

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