The Chief Executive Officer of Electro Ghana Limited, Nana Yaw Konadu, has revealed that proper recycling of electronic materials is central to combating the worst impact of climate change and protecting the environment from hazardous metals.
According to him, used materials and products out of use, especially plastic materials from television sets, radio, computers and car batteries were resources that could fetch incomes to households, if treated well -through collection and recycling.
Nana Konadu who is also the Co-Founder of Electro Ghana, a recycling company that collects products for recycling said this when he conducted the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Simone Giger, the German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Daniel Krull, and a team from the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) round his company premises in Accra.
Nana Konadu urged Ghanaians to treat used products from metals, plastics and other materials as resources and not waste. To him, what people referred to as waste were resourceful materials, which, if handled well, could contribute to the growth of the circular economy.
Currently, Nana Konadu’s company receives huge materials from different sources for recycling. These recycled materials are then used for the manufacturing of television; copper wire and many others.
For his part, Dr Vincent Nartey Kyere of MESTI said the work of Electro Ghana Limited fits into the policy of government in tackling e-waste. He said the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Act, Act197, aimed to address the hydra-headed electronic waste challenge in Ghana.
He said MESTI has set up collection points in various parts of Ghana, including Ashaiman, Agbogloshie, Koforidua and Tamale.
Mr Krull, the German Ambassador, said, “I’m amazed. It’s a wonderful company that is working in a very, very important field in recycling and upcycling, refurbishing.”
He said there is a growing demand for “these resources.”
For instance, the German Ambassador said there was a directive from the European Union which imposes the automotive industry, to have a certain amount of recycled materials used as parts in new cars by the year 2030.