Thirty selected electrical and electronic technicians in the Ashanti region have undergone a two-day training on e-waste management.
The training was organised by the Technicians Association of Electrical and Electronics Equipment Ghana (TAEEEG) with support from GIZ to sensitise the participants on the need to be abreast of the dangers associated with the indiscriminate disposal of electronic waste.
It was also to equip them with the skills and techniques to identify valuable components of electronic waste materials such as computers, printers, refrigerators, washing machines, TV sets, air-conditioners, medical devices, ovens and others, and the need to be cautious in their disposal.
Mr Jeffery Adongo, an Executive Member of the Association, speaking at the opening ceremony, said contaminations in the air usually occurred when e-waste was informally disposed of by dismantling, shredding or melting the materials, which released toxins, such as dioxins, onto the environment.
He said pollution caused by indiscriminate disposal of e-waste materials could damage the respiratory systems of both human beings and animals and cause harmful destruction to biodiversity.
Mr Adongo noted that higher-value materials such as gold and silver were often removed from highly integrated electronics by using acids, disordering and other chemicals, which also released fumes in areas where recycling was not regulated properly and thereby, contributing to climate change challenges.
He said over the years, air pollution had destroyed water bodies, soils and plant species, creating irreversible damage to ecosystems, and there was, therefore, the need for all to work to protect the environment.
Mr Adongo advised electronics and electrical technicians to be very careful, especially when disposing of malfunctioned items or selling to scrap dealers because there were higher risks when burning them.
He called on the members of the public to join the crusade to fight the indiscriminate disposal of e-waste.
Some of the participants, who spoke to journalists, underscored the importance of the training and expressed gratitude to the organizers and the sponsors for the opportunity.
