World's used electronics not making its way to Agbogbloshie, claims US scrap expert

KAMPALA (Scrap Monster): Contrary to media reports that tons of used electronics from developed countries are being dumped in Agbogbloshie, a district in the middle of Accra, Ghana, Robin Ingenthron, founder of the Middlebury, Vermont-based World Reuse, Repair and Recycling Association (WR3A) has stated that he failed to find any evidence for it during his recent trip to the region.

Ingenthron, who toured the West African country from March 28 to April 19 this year, refuted the allegations by mainstream media that developed countries use Agbogbloshie as a dumping yard for their electronic scrap. According to him, he saw no evidence of imported e-scrap traveling from the country's port at Tema to Agbogbloshie during the trip. Ingenthron had spent nearly 16 hours at Agbogbloshie and another 6 hours interviewing workers there.

According to Ingenthron, Agbogbloshie site mainly contained automobile scrap and discarded appliances. In addition, he also observed that locally collected e-scrap from neighboring places were brought to the site on handcarts. He also noted that the soil is extremely contaminated. However, no evidence of direct import was noticed. As a result, ending imports will not be adequate enough to address the problem of e-waste dump in the region.

Commenting on the statement, BAN stated that Ingenthron’s statements are not based on proper forensic examination of devices. Moreover, import flows were not tracked systematically. Usually, imported e-waste fist goes to shops in Accra. When not sold, they are collected in large carts and dumped in Agbogbloshie site, BAN added.