E-waste Burning in Ghana Exposes Workers to Toxic Health Risks

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  E-waste trafficked to Ghana is burned for valuable metals, exposing workers to toxic fumes and environmental hazards.

In short:

E-waste is trafficked from wealthy countries to Ghana, where workers burn it to extract metals like copper and gold, releasing toxic fumes.

Informal recycling exposes workers, including women and children, to harmful substances such as lead, with severe health and developmental impacts.

Only 15% of global e-waste is recycled, and smuggling operations use sophisticated tactics to evade detection, worsening the crisis.

Key quote:

“The air, as you can see, is very polluted and I have to work here every day, so it definitely affects our health.”

— Abdulla Yakubu, worker at Agbogbloshie dumpsite

Why this matters:

E-waste contains hazardous chemicals that threaten human health and ecosystems, with vulnerable workers in poorer nations bearing the brunt. Strengthening regulations like the Basel Convention and investing in sustainable e-waste recycling are critical to reducing these harms.

Courtesy: www.ehn.org