The E-waste Fund set up by the government to receive the advanced recycling levies (Eco Levy) on imported electrical and electronic items has accrued over GH¢60 million.

Currently, the fund is being disbursed to help in the management of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) as mandated by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Act, 2025 (Act 1124).

The acting Manager of the E-waste Fund, Anthony Akwetea-Mensah, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic at a stakeholder engagement with operators in the e-waste value chain in Accra yesterday, said 20 per cent of the total amount meant to support the collection of e-waste by collection centres was being utilised to ensure the sound management of the waste.

The event brought together dealers in scrap, including collectors, operators of holding centres and recycling plants.

Context

E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. Despite containing valuable materials that can be reused, only about 25 per cent of global e-waste was properly recycled as of 2022, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In Ghana, e-waste collection is largely handled by the informal sector --- scrap dealers --- with about 95 per cent of all e-waste passing through their hands. Unfortunately, as a result of the lack of proper recycling infrastructure, e-waste is handled under hazardous conditions, posing serious risks to human health and the environment. 

Eco Levy

It is within that context that the Eco Levy was imposed on electrical and electronic items in 2018, to tackle the environmental impact of e-waste.

The audience at the event

Subsequently, the E-waste Fund was set up to manage the proceeds from the Eco Levy.

Section 128 of Act 1124, which sets up the fund, provides that the Fund shall provide financial resources for the management of e-waste and also help to reduce the adverse impact of e-waste on human health and the environment.

Section 135 of the EPA Act, which provides the disbursement formula of the fund, stipulates that 20 per cent should be used to support the collection of e-waste by collection centres; 40 per cent to support the construction, expansion, operation and management of e-waste recycling centres, treatment plants and related facilities; 20 per cent to the EPA; 10 per cent to the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST); five per cent for research and development; 3.5 per cent for monitoring; one per cent for capacity-building; and 0.5 per cent for administrative purposes.

Pilot project

Mr Akwetea-Mensah said since its operationalisation in 2019, the Fund had made significant strides — from building institutional capacity and forming partnerships to establishing payment systems.

He explained that as part of its mandate to finance the management of e-waste and to reduce its adverse impacts on human health and the environment, the Fund had launched a pilot incentive scheme in Koforidua and was currently expanding to Accra.

The E-waste Fund administrator said the initiative had brought a structured, safe and incentive-based e-waste collection directly to the public.

He added that in October 2024, the E-Waste Fund, in partnership with Eco-Partners Ghana, launched the pilot incentive project in Koforidua in the Eastern Region, targeted at collecting two types of hazardous waste - lamps and screens (LED/LCD televisions and monitors) -- and cash incentives to those who turn them in.

Mr Akwetea-Mensah also said a fully operational collection centre was set up with authorisation from the EPA to provide secure storage and proper handling of e-waste, protecting both human health and the environment.

“The scrap guys should collect and bring the e-waste to the holding centre for a fee, which would then be properly handled and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

We do not want people to burn hazardous waste, so we want to get these wastes and properly handle them,” he said.

Good move

The Project Manager for Green Advocacy, Ghana (Green ads), Bennet Samuel Akuffo, said the engagement with the stakeholders would facilitate the scaling up of the pilot project.

Mr Akuffo was optimistic that a middle ground would be reached in terms of pricing of the e-waste for the project to be successful.

“We call on players in the e-waste sector to find the items and bring them to holding centres for safe disposal or recycling,” he said.