Guidelines on used electronic import

25-04-08
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THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing guidelines to regulate the importation of used electronic gadgets into the country.
The guidelines are expected to prevent the dumping of such gadgets, a practice which could be harmful to the public.
The Public Relations Officer of the EPA, Mr William Abaidoo, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic yesterday, noted that the guidelines would serve as a standard for what "we want to have and receive as a country in terms of electronic waste".
Mr Abaidoo mentioned electronic gadgets, which he described as ‘electronic waste’, as used television sets, radios, computers, cameras and mobile phone batteries.
He noted that most used electronic gadgets were hazardous, adding that if such waste was not regulated and indiscriminately added to other refuse, the toxic from it could leak into underground water sources.
He said a proposal had been tabled by the Chemical Control and Management Committee to set up a sub-committee of the hazardous waste committee to look at used electronic gadgets separately.
According to him, the committee was going to categorise the types of used electronic gadgets that the country received, after which an inventory would be taken to ascertain the actual situation on the ground by sending questionnaires to importers and end users of those electronic products to see the quantity they received, what they used them for and the way they were disposed of.
Mr Abaidoo said the committee would then use that as a baseline data to come out with the guidelines to regulate the inflow of the items, as well as suggest ways of disposal and recycling of the waste.
He said the committee would comprise the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the Ministry of Trade, end users of electronic waste, computer technicians, repairers, the Ghana Standards Board and telecommunication companies.
“We have finished all the paperwork. The identification of stakeholders has also been done,” he added.