ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to explore the factors influencing the emergence and growth of informal e-waste activities and to examine workers’ motivation for involvement in informal e-waste activities. Semi-structured interviews and observations among actors in the recently established Dagomba-Line e-waste site in Kumasi, Ghana were employed to gather relevant data. Emergence and growth of e-waste activities are largely influenced by spatial, political, socio-cultural and economic factors. The reuse and open disposal of e-waste are the common practices due to the cost of transportation to a final disposal site. Similar to findings at the well-established Agbogbloshie e-waste site, also in Ghana, scavengers are found at the bottom of the e-waste financial ladder. The major motivating factor for engaging in e-waste handling is poverty. Additionally, some respondents mentioned the lucrative nature of the activity, landlessness, and peer influence as a motivation. The results showed that younger workers (below 35 years) were more likely to be engaged in the activity for reasons of peer influence and poverty and major source of livelihood . The paper recommends that policy and planning should reflect ways of delivering and creating stable socio-economic conditions that promote an inclusive and sustainable development.

摘要

本文的目的有两个：探索影响非正式电子废物活动出现和增长的因素，并检查工人参与非正式电子废物活动的动机。最近在加纳库马西建立的 Dagomba-Line 电子垃圾场的参与者之间的半结构化访谈和观察被用来收集相关数据。电子废物活动的出现和增长在很大程度上受到空间、政治、社会文化和经济因素的影响。由于运输到最终处置场的成本，电子废物的再利用和公开处置是常见做法。与同样位于加纳的成熟的 Agbogbloshie 电子垃圾场的发现类似，拾荒者位于电子垃圾金融阶梯的底部。从事电子废物处理的主要动机是贫困。此外，一些受访者提到了这项活动的有利可图性质、无土地和同伴影响作为动机。结果表明，由于同伴影响、贫困和主要生计来源，年轻工人（35 岁以下）更有可能参与该活动。该文件建议政策和规划应反映提供和创造稳定的社会经济条件的方式，以促进包容性和可持续发展。