Are we Going to Burn Everything? Agbogbloshie’s Informal E-waste Workers’ Perspectives

Abstract: This study engages with the informal e-waste sector, its financial, environmental and human health impacts as perceived by the e-waste workers. Although recovering resources from e-waste informally is useful to the financial needs of the workers, the rudimentary techniques employed are detrimental to the human-environment system. Surprisingly, not much is known about the perception of informal e-waste workers on their activities and how they triangulate the monetary benefits with the environment and human health consequences. Using the Problem-Centred Interview technique, I explored how informal e-waste workers at Agbogbloshie make meaning of their activities in relation to their financial needs, their duty to protect their lives and the environment. Additionally, their views on eco-friendly ways of processing e-waste, which would not compromise the financial benefits they accrue from their activities, were examined. The study found that informal e-waste workers accord significant importance to the monetary benefits of their activities. Equally, e-waste workers disclosed several health challenges and considered their activities of burning e-waste as polluting the environment. However, the financial rewards derived from processing e-waste informally override concerns for their health and the environment, and consequently influences their views on alternative methods of processing e-waste. The findings augment the e-waste literature and would guide attempts to minimize the adverse effects of processing e-waste informally at Agbogbloshie and elsewhere.