Itochu Steps Up to Recycle E-Waste from Ghana's 'Electronics Graveyard'

Read the full story on Japan 2 Earth - Itochu Steps Up to Recycle E-Waste from Ghana's 'Electronics Graveyard'

There is a growing movement among Japanese companies to recycle improperly discarded e-waste, particularly in a district known as "the world’s largest electronics graveyard" on the outskirts of Accra, the capital of Ghana in West Africa. Itochu Corporation, one of Japan’s major trading companies, has launched a new service.

For every smartphone sold in Japan, the company recycles one mobile device thrown away in Africa. 

A new recycling factory has also been built by a Japanese artist who creates works of art using e-waste. Activities to improve the quality of life for the district's residents have begun.

Dumping of E-Waste

Agbogbloshie, a district in the heart of Accra, is the size of about 30 Tokyo Domes. Mobile devices, computers, televisions, and other types of e-waste brought in from the developed world are dumped in piles out in the open. 

The volume of e-waste is said to have reached several tens of millions of tons and continues to grow on a scale of 600,000 tons every year.

Open burning is carried out to extract metals such as copper from the e-waste. The resulting toxic gases pose health hazards to Agbogbloshie's residents. Contamination of soil, rivers, and groundwater is also widespread.

Continue reading the full story on Japan 2 Earth.

Advertisement

And find more great articles on the environment and the challenges of achieving the SDGs on our new website Japan 2 Earth (J2E), sparking a transition to the future.

RELATED:

• Focus on 'People': Japan Extending a Hand to Africa Through TICAD 8
• [Vietnam! Moving Ahead Together] Japanese Company Junk & Co. Takes on the Challenge of Recycling in Vietnam
  

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Kazuo Endo