The installation is now approximately 65% complete.
This was announced when the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Dr. Kwaku Afriyie visited the facilities in Accra yesterday to check the level of work being done so far. now.
This is a 10 million euro project (first phase) within the framework of the project for the recycling and disposal of WEEE in an environmentally sound manner and is funded by the German government.
It aimed to reduce the environmental impacts of e-waste recycling activities in the country, move such waste through proper and sound procedures, test a pricing or financing mechanism as well as provide lessons to the nationally led system. by the electronic waste fund.
Emphasizing that the project would do a lot of good for the country by generating income, creating jobs and avoiding health risks, Dr. Afriyie commended the technical team in charge of the project for the good work done so far.
He said this is part of a circular economy, as people may think of it as waste but, in essence, as a resource.
The Minister noted that e-waste was dealt with first due to the hazards associated with some of the materials.
“And of course there are also high-value materials in there, so if you recycle them, you create jobs and the country will be better off for it,” he added.
Nana B Danquah, Senior Project Manager, Memphis Metropolitan Limited said the project should have been completed this month but “due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors including the unavailability of materials and workers, it was delayed”.
“We would be able to complete construction by October 31,” he added.
Mr. Danquah explained that the facility located on a three-acre plot would include temporary storage, a recycling center, a weighbridge, a guard house and a transformer, among others.
Mr. Vincent Nartey Kyere, Team Leader, Electronic Waste Project Implementation Unit (PIU), MESTI, explained that the project focused on the collection, recycling and resale of four types of electronic waste, including: “cables, mixed batteries, thermoplastics and CRT televisions”. .”
He pointed out that the project is a three-year project which started in 2018 but had an extension of about a year and a half with the first phase due to be completed this year.
Mr Kyere said that so far around 203 tonnes of electronic waste has been collected.
“We also have tenders – from Ghanaian companies that have shown interest, so we will be looking at that soon,” he added.