Toward a More Sustainable Trajectory for E-Waste Policy: A Review of a Decade of E-Waste Research in Accra, Ghana.
Global flows of e-waste from the Global North to the Global South continue to damage local environments and harm human health. Weak e-waste regulations and limited use of safety measures for e-waste workers in Accra, Ghana, foster an exploitative environment within the industry, and pose health risks for those working and living near e-waste processing sites. This paper presents an integrated review of over 40 e-waste studies specific to Accra, with particular emphasis on the well-studied e-waste processing site in Agbogbloshie, and synthesizes the existing research base across interdisciplinary themes of human health, environmental health, globalization, trade and informalization, and public policy. Despite significant international attention to Accra's e-waste problem, loopholes within international environmental regulations and treaties provide few incentives and resources for Ghana to strengthen protections for human and environmental health. After a decade of e-waste research in Accra, the crisis continues to intensify; we present a renewed vision for sustainable e-waste policy reform in Ghana and beyond.
Department of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. k.daum@umiami.edu.
Kurt
K
Daum
Department of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. stoler@miami.edu.|Department of Public Health Sciences, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, FL 33136, USA. stoler@miami.edu.|Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. stoler@miami.edu.
Justin
J
Stoler
Department of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA. rgrant@miami.edu.|Department of Geography, Environment Management, and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa. rgrant@miami.edu.
Richard J
RJ
Grant
D059029:Electronic Waste / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D058735:Environmental Policy; D052918:Environmental Restoration and Remediation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059027:Recycling / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods*; D064091:Waste Disposal Facilities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D018505:Waste Management; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Ghana; e-waste; environmental health; governance; public policy; recycling