Ghana’s e-waste sector is dominated by informal collectors and dismantlers who face unsafe working conditions, unstable incomes, and limited social protection. Many earn less than 40% of the national living income threshold, while being exposed daily to toxins, harassment, and economic exploitation.
To tackle this, GreenAd is partnering with Fairphone, Argo360, the Greater Accra Scrap Dealers Association (GASDA), and with support from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) under the Social Sustainability Fund (SSF) Project.
The project’s Local Impact Assessment (LIA), led by GreenAd, provided the first comprehensive analysis of the realities facing e-waste pickers within Argo360 and GASDA’s value chains. The LIA focused on:
- Income strategies – exploring pre-financing, long-term contracts, and fairer payment models.
- Improved working conditions – assessing health and safety challenges, harassment, lack of PPE, and gaps in legal recognition.
- Local recycling opportunities – mapping the potential of Ghana’s recyclers to process e-waste fractions safely and sustainably.
Findings from the LIA will inform Phase B of the project, which introduces targeted interventions such as:
- Pre-financing and financial literacy training for e-waste collectors
- Provision of PPE and safety training
- Introducing women into dismantling roles
- Formal registration of collectors for legal recognition
- Strengthening local recycler capacity
This project is a bold step towards creating fair, safe, and sustainable livelihoods for Ghana’s e-waste workers.
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