Public education critical for proper E-waste management – Anthony Akwetea-Mensah

The Administrator of the E-waste Fund, Mr. Anthony Akwetea-Mensah, has called for an enhanced public education and awareness creation on electrical and electronic waste management in the country.

‎The call comes on the back of an observation he has made suggesting that majority of Ghanaians still do not appreciate the need for proper disposal of their old electronic gadgets and appliances and it’s consequential impact on the environment.

‎”Majority of us don’t even know what E-waste is about. People don’t see why we’re collecting these things; so the task for us now is to get people to appreciate the need to properly dispose their E-waste” he said.

‎He argued that the adverse impact of improper management of E-waste in the country may ultimately be more serious than illegal mining otherwise known as galamsey.

‎”Look, I always tell people that the waste that we’re going to get out of electronics, the damage will even be more serious than galamsey.

‎”But it is not destructive as we see [we don’t dig and everything] but the mercury and other hard metals can go into the soil and it would come out into the food that we eat” he emphasised.

‎Speaking in an interview with The Custodian Online on the sidelines of a two-day stakeholder engagement and opening of a collection point in Tamale last Friday, January 22, 2026.

Anthony Akweteah-Mensah

‎Mr. Akwetea-Mensah announced plans to collaborate with the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to organize sensitization exercises at the basic school levels to educate the young pupils.

The event brought together scrap dealers, mobile phones and electric repairers to discuss the implementation strategies, roles, and expected outcomes.

‎Meanwhile, E-waste collection in Ghana is largely handled by the informal sector particularly the scrap dealers. About 95 per cent of all e-waste pass through their hands and they often resort to open burning of these materials leading to severe health and environmental pollution.

‎On the back of this, the E-waste Project Team leader at the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Vincent Kyere said the government is working assiduously to harness the value of E-waste while dispose it’s negative aspect properly to ensure the environment is safe.

‎According to him, Ghana has made significant strides in the management of E-waste compared to other countries in the sub Region.

‎He pointed out the introduction of a legal framework to manage E-waste in the country, pilot incentive collection scheme to promote responsible disposal practices as part of measures to tackle the e-waste menace.