Tools for Informal e Waste Recyclers in Agbogbloshie, Ghana

8/10/2019 Tools for Informal e Waste Recyclers in Agbogbloshie, Ghana

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Tools for informal e-waste recyclers in Agbogbloshie, Ghana MSc Practising Sustainable Development - IT!D

"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

Tools for informal e-waste recyclers

in Agbogbloshie, Ghana

Rafael FERNNDEZ-FONT PREZrafael*font*+. / live*rhul*ac*u0

Dissertation - MSc Practising Sustainable Developent - !"T#DRo$al %ollo&a$ 'niversit$ of (on)on

E -&aste *ui+ ,

What is in the picture?

a) Old connectors detached from obsolete computers, therefore waste.b) Plastic impurities detached from copper wires to allow cable shredding, therefore waste.

c) Power connectors suitable to feed a quadcopters electric motors, therefore a resource.

d) Liquid Crstal Polmer plastic potentiall recclable, therefore a resource.

Go to page + to fin1 the answer*

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orrect answer to $-waste 2ui34 All of the above*

Abstract

#lectronic waste is increasing globall. $t contains %aluable materials and at the same time to&ic

components that can be released if the are not processed right. 'ome countries li(e hana

recei%e a large amount of e!waste without ha%ing the infrastructure to process it properl.

Wor(ers in%ol%ed in e!waste reccling bu materials to e&tract and resell the %aluable parts but

suffer health ha*ards due to inappropriate reccling techniques. +he scrap ard in

gbogbloshie, ccra, is an e!waste processing site (nown for cable burning.

-esources a%ailable to the e!waste processing wor(ers are assessed in order to understand

their wants and needs, finding that business de%elopment is a high priorit. new narrati%e of

the place based on this idea could help it de%elop and increase wor(ers capabilities. +he %alue

chain of some %aluable elements in e!waste pro%e a global interest in them and the position of

gbogbloshie as a node in the global reccling sstem. Communal wor(shops /a(erspaces)

are proposed as a wa to allow wor(ers to build and enhance their own tools. 0etter tools

together with added %alue to some e!waste components could impro%e the li%es of those

wor(ing in gbogbloshie. +hree different tools are analsed and implementation guidelines

proposed1 a cable shredder to a%oid burning, a quadcopter to map the area, and microcredits.

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Acknowledgements

$ am %er grateful for the contributions that man people ha%e done to this wor(. $ am tempted to

sa that $ 3stood on the shoulders of giants4, but the metaphor does not seem adequate.$nstead, $ would prefer something li(e 3$ was a dwarf who collaborated with one thousand other

dwar%es4, each contributing with their own particular (nowledge. / apologies to those not

mentioned here.

$ would li(e to than( Leonardo Llamas for being m first direct contact with e!waste reccling in

ccra, for his help, tips, contacts, that also made m life easier in ccra. +han(s to him $ met

the /arist 0rothers, whose house was m base. +heir regulars and %isitors and food read at

fi&ed hours) pro%ided the communit feeling crucial for m sta.

+he gbogbloshie /a(erspace Platform is carring out an outstanding pro5ect, and $ feel

pri%ileged for ha%ing been a part of it. $ want to than( e%erone in%ol%ed in /Ps acti%ities for

ha%ing welcomed me, and $ wish them e%er success in their goals. +he contribution of the

students from the Creati%it roup at 678'+ has also been essential. $ would li(e to than(

them for their in%ol%ement and $ trust to see man inno%ations being built b them. $ would li(e

to than( the 6o(robite $nstitute for ha%ing hosted me and the cable shredder, and for their help

with the ma(ing sessions. $ am especiall grateful to m fellow researcher 9eather gepong

for her support and our fieldwor( cooperation.

+he cable burners at gbogbloshie do not use e!mail, so $ would need someone to read them

these words. 0ut the might not care. fter all $ am 5ust one more white person that inter%iewed

them, and 5ust li(e the rest, the got nothing in return. ll $ can sa is than( ou, to them and to

Wolfgang mpem from 9elp the frican Children, and trust that things will change soon. $ am

also grateful to man other wor(ers at gbogbloshie that ha%e warml recei%ed me there.

$ ha%e built on top of the wor( of se%eral ma(ers1 9al Watts, /att 0atchelor and $%an aton. $would li(e to than( them for their support during this research and for ma(ing their designs open

source and low!cost, and therefore a%ailable to man people in the world. $ would li(e to than(

the team at -echub for their contributions before and during the fieldwor(.

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special than(s goes to m super%isor ;a%id 'imon. When we first discussed this wor( $ had

no idea about hana, and 5ust a bit about e!waste. 9e belie%ed that this cra* idea of studing

tools for e!waste reccling could wor( and has supported me all the wa through.


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Table of Contents

bstract>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.c(nowledgements>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

+able of Contents>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..List of >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.lossar>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...". $ntroduction>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.2. Literature -e%iew>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

2.". +heoretical underpinnings ! +he Capabilities pproach>>>>>>>>>>>.2.2. #lectronic waste>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.2.:. +he situation in hana and gbogbloshie>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>2.=. /a(ing and tools>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...2.. $nformal sector>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...2.@. $s the e !waste trade a case of en%ironmental in5ustice ?>>>>>>>>>>>.2.A. Balue chain analsis>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

:. /ethodolog>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...:.". -esearch questions>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..:.2. /ethods>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.:.:. Partners>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.:.=. ppling the Capabilities pproach>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.:.. #thical issues and positionalit>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.:.@. Limitations>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

=. -esults and ;iscussion>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.=.". new , hopeful narrati%e about gbogbloshie>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

=.2. 8nderstanding the e !waste %alue chain>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.=.:. 9uman ;e%elopment indicators>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...=.=. /a(erspaces can be a tool for de%elopment>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..=.. stor of three tools>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

=..". Cable 'hredder>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>=..2. uadcopter>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>=..:. 'a%ings and loans>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

. Conclusions>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.0ibliograph>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

ppendi&es>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..ppendi& $1 8pdates %ia +witter>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

ppendi& $$1 0udget>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ppendi& $$$ ! 9ow to build a quadcopter e&tract)>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ppendi& $B ! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ppendi& B ! $n the news>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...

2 :

@ A D"E"E"2""A"A"F2"2"2"222:2:2=222

:2:F===D=D:@D@:A"A"

A:A=A@AD

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List of Figures

>>>>>>>>>...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


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Glossary

/ ! ccra /unicipal uthorit

/P ! gbogbloshie /a(erspace Platform0o2W ! 0est of 2 Worlds

C ! Capabilities pproach

C-+ ! Cathode -a +ube

CBC ! Customer Balue Chain nalsis

### ! #lectrical and #lectronic #quipment

#P ! #n%ironmental Protection genc hana)

#8 ! #uropean 8nion

P' ! lobal Positioning 'stem

9C ! 9elp the frican Children 7O)

$C+=; ! $nformation and Communication +echnologies


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1. ntroduction

+he neighbourhood of gbogbloshie, in ccra, hana, has earned a name both in the academic

literature and in the popular media as one of the most polluted places on #arth. Once a greenarea, the scrap ard processes toda a large amount of waste materials including to&ic ones.

One particular waste stream attracts the most attention, that of electrical and electronic waste,

or 3e!waste4 moaw!Osei 2E"").

#lectronic components are discarded increasingl often as obsolescence is being built into

them. +he amount of discarded electronics is foreseen to increase globall, while the reccling

capacit is not (eeping pace Gu et al. 2E"E). #!waste contains se%eral to&ic materials, which

ma(es old computers be considered to&ic waste. +o&ic waste regulations include aninternational agreement1 the 0asel Con%ention. lthough it has not stopped international e!

waste trade, it has strongl influenced legislation li(e the #uropean ;irecti%e on W### Waste

#lectrical and #lectronic #quipment) that renders illegal e!waste e&ports to countries without

reccling capacit.

$n hana, a recei%er of international e!waste, there is not et a processing industr compliant

with en%ironmental standards. +he so called 3formal sector4 is in its infanc as enterprises loo(

for good business models, while the indi%iduals in the 3informal sector4 dominate the business,

being more fle&ible to bu and process e!waste with techniques often harmful to the

en%ironment and their own health rant I Oteng!babio 2E"2). $n general, the reccling

infrastructure in hana is wea(. Onl "EJ of the solid waste is landfilled. +here is no glass or

P#+ plastic reccling, and onl a handful of secondar metal processing companies /anhart

2E"=).

$nternational e!waste trade has been considered a global en%ironmental in5ustice, for letting

people in the lobal 'outh suffer disproportionatel from the to&ic materials released when

reccling Puc(ett 2EE@). +he narrati%e about gbogbloshie in the media usuall focuses on the

oung wor(ers that burn cables to e&tract copper ;annorit*er 2E"=). 0oth the en%ironmental

in5ustice framing and the narrati%e will be re%ised. $n particular, a new narrati%e of gbogbloshie

as an industrial place will be e&plored, ac(nowledging the ma5or role that economics pla in the

site. +he analsis of the routes to mar(et of the different components of e!waste is rele%ant in

this conte&t and will be e&plored in depth.

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+he li%es of those reccling e!waste could potentiall be impro%ed b introducing some tools in

their wor(. +hese tools should in particular increase their health and pro%ide them with a better

income. $deall the would be built and maintained in a communal wor(shop such as a

/a(erspace, in which the ideas of open source, bottom!up de%elopment, and entrepreneurship

are embedded. suitable theor to analse the impact of these tools on indi%iduals is the

Capabilities pproach C), as it considers different aspects of human li%es, not onl economic

ones. +he results could ser%e as a baseline to understand how the li%es of the e!waste recclers

are, and what the %alue more in them.

'e%eral assumptions are commonl made in the literature that this wor( does not share. +he

first one is to relate the e!waste problem mainl to en%ironment and health, paing less attention

to its rele%ance for the wor(ers income 0ridgen 2EED). +his te&t will integrate the social,economic, and en%ironmental aspects without compromising on neither of them. Others focus

on measures at national or international le%el, considering that it is up to go%ernments or

companies to protect e!waste recclers geman 2E"=). +his is considered unli(el to happen

an time soon, therefore a bottom!up approach is adopted Wang et al. 2E"2).


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!. Literature "e#iew

'e%eral different fields cross paths in this wor(. +his literature re%iew contains elements from

en%ironmental 5ustice, the capabilities approach, international trade of e!waste, or business

analsis. lthough in principle the seem to belong to different realms, the analsis of the e!

waste problem finds a place in which all of them can contribute to solutions. What brought e!

waste into the public sphere was en%ironmental in5ustice, and its rele%ance was assessed

based on the health and en%ironmental ha*ards caused b the metals. +he first solutions

proposed focused on banning international e!waste trade. 9owe%er, new approaches are based

on impro%ing reccling methods paing less attention to the formalit or informalit of the

businesses, and focusing on the indi%idual abilities to carr them out. 'paces for collaborati%e

in%ention facilitate this 5ob. +his section aims at wea%ing all this together.

2.1. Theoretical underpinnings - The Capabilities Approach

6Development can be seen 7**8 as a process of e9pan1ing the real free1oms that people en:oy*;


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capabilit is a combination of actions that a person can choose whether to do or not in a gi%en

domain. n achie%ed functioning happens when the person actuall e&ercises their freedom

l(ire 2EE2). $f, for e&ample, a person is forced for whate%er reasons to sell goods at a

particular price and under gi%en conditions, their agenc would be low. Con%ersel, being able

to negotiate different prices and conditions represents an increased agenc and greater

freedom. While being able to 1eci1eis the capabilit, actually 1eci1ingis the functioning.

'ome ad%ocate a strict definition of capabilities 7ussbaum 2EE"), while others challenge

researchers to produce their own set 'en 2EEE). +his wor( adopts the open!ended approach,

selecting the more rele%ant capabilities in a particular conte&t. /easurement is another

challenge when operationalising the C. $t requires clarifing terms, defining dimensions and

scales, and sstematising the presentation of results. When weighing capabilities it is crucial not

to fi& them a priori, but to consider the input of the communit under stud Comim 2EED).

One possibilit to assess capabilities is to find out about 3resources4. -esources, in this conte&t,

are capabilit inputs based on indi%idual agenc. +he can be material, financial, pschological,

or related to health, among others 6leine 2E"E). +he disparit between the different resources

shows one limitation of this approach1 how to measure freedom in a comparable wa in each of

them, and how or whether to aggregate them for comparisons between different inter%entions

l(ire 2EE2).

ppling the C implies methodological choices regarding an adequate e%aluati%e space, sets

of rele%ant capabilities and indicators, and aggregation strategies /artinetti 2EEE). Choosing

capabilities requires a methodological 5ustification, sensiti%it to conte&t, pragmatism and

e&hausti%it -obens 2EE:). nother choice is between e%aluati%e and prospecti%e analsis,

either to assess impact o%er time, or identif potential and reasons for capabilit e&pansion. +he

choices made in this wor( will be e&plained in the methodolog section.

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2.2. Electronic waste

+he mismanagement of end!of!life electronics was first brought to public attention in 2EE2.0ro(en and obsolete computers from industrialised countries were found dumped in sia. +he

economic rationale for these e&ports was alread there1 companies were being paid to ta(e care

of discarded electronics in the 8nited 'tates, and were being paid again b sian bro(ers

interested in reclaiming the metals Puc(ett et al. 2EE2). +oda, the amount of waste generated

b the discard of electronics (eeps rising, fuelled b shorter lifespans Lundgren 2E"2, Gu

2E"E).

;efining electronic waste remains problematic and unstandardised Lepaws( 2E"=). $t inheritsthe difficulties of defining waste itself, and adds se%eral terms with similar but not equal meaning

that are ne%ertheless used indifferentl, such as e!waste and W###. rguabl, finding the right

solutions to the 3e!waste problem4 depends on how e!waste is understood.

ccording to the Waste


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3#!waste4 includes obsolete or bro(en computers, laptops and mobile phones rant I Oteng!

babio 2E"2, Gu et al. 2E"E), whereas 3W###4 adds electrical appliances such as fridges, air!

conditioners and tele%isions #8 2E"2). #!waste and W### are often used indistinctl #5iogu

2E":, -obinson 2EEF) leading to confusion, especiall when forecasting future generation.


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$t also impregnates the 0asel Con%ention, the international instrument that controls the

transboundar mo%ements of ha*ardous waste, including e!waste 0asel 2E"E). t the moment

an 3informed consent4 of the recei%ing countr is enforced, and a total ban on e&ports from

3nne& B$$ countries4 O#C;, #8, Liechtenstein), (nown as the 0asel 0an, is appro%ed but not

et in force. 9owe%er most of those countries ha%e alread incorporated the ban into their

legislation, with the notable e&ception of the 8'. $n the #8 the recentl updated W###

;irecti%e forbids e!waste e&ports #8 2E"2). +he 0asel 0an has gathered a rele%ant support as

the main tool to end the e!waste problem Puc(ett 2EE@, 0ridgen 2EED, Pra(ash et al. 2E"E,

6iddee 2E":).

9owe%er, neither the 0asel 0an nor the W### directi%e are e&empt from criticism. ;iscarded

electronics in the #8 could potentiall be reused for man ears in other countries, but the

regulation encourages reccling instead 6ahhat et al. 2E"2). +he fact that e!waste trade fromnne& B$$ countries is less and less rele%ant compared with trade between non!nne& B$$

countries is another argument against its effecti%it 6ahhat I Williams 2EEF, Lundgren 2E"2).

+he increase of local e!waste generation, o%erta(ing the %olume traded in, is another factor

against the ban Pic(ren 2E"=, Lepaws( 2E"=). nother rele%ant aspect is the high percentage

of wor(ing and repairable computers that actuall arri%e, up to DJ in the case of hana

moaw!Osei 2E""), which would reduce the si*e of the real e!waste problem.


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;annorit*er 2E"=). +hose who stress the %alue within waste loo( for proper treatment to

support sustainable business solutions 'eager et al. 2E"2, 6ahhat et al. 2E"2), tr to bring raw

materials bac( to state!of!the!art processing in the #8 WorldLoop 2E"=, #/P 2E":), or ma(e

economic arrangements to fund local ta(e bac( sstems W-: 2E"=). s a global issue, e!

waste is unli(el to be tac(led successfull b a single approach.

2.3. The situation in Ghana and Agbogbloshie

'e%eral reasons e&plain wh some countries recei%e higher %olumes of e!waste than others1

cheap labour, adequate for manual dismantlingM the presence of a large port helping container

ships arri%eM little en%ironmental considerations during e!waste processingM and the bad wor(ers

conditions 0rei%i( et al. 2E"=). +his might be the case in hana, where also a ta& e&emption is

in place since 2EE= for used computer imports, mar(ets for second!hand goods e&ist, and the

culture of repair and reccling e&tends across the countr rant I Oteng!babio 2E"2). $t is not

a race to the bottom to find the least prepared countr for dumping or the one with the worst

en%ironmental regulation $les 2EE=).

#!waste arri%es in hana %ia formal and informal channels Pra(ash et al. 2E"E). /an times

hanaians in the diaspora fill containers with old electronics and ship them to relati%es in hana

0urrell 2E"2). #!waste refurbishing and processing is a rele%ant source of income for up to

2E",@EE people there. ;espite not being recognised in the official figures for being mostl

informal, the estimated amount which the e!waste processing sector contributes to the

hanaian econom lies between 8'K "E and 2@D million Pra(ash et al. 2E"E). +his opens a

moral dilemma regarding the e!waste trade ban, as reducing the imports of old electronics

would pre%ent man people from sustaining their li%elihoods.

+he main place in hana where e!waste processing ta(es place is the scrap ard in the

neighbourhood of gbogbloshie, in ccra. $t currentl belongs to the 7ational Gouth Council

7GC), and has been leased to the 'crap ;ealers ssociation ';). Originall intended forouth acti%ities, it was occupied in the "FDEs together with the ad5acent slum neighbourhood of

Old


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2.4. Making and tools

gbogbloshie wor(ers use basic tools such as hammers, chisels and wrenches for dismantling

tas(s, scales to weight material, and pushcarts, bi(es, and small motor pic(!ups for material

collection rant I Oteng!babio 2E"2). +his pro%ides a good base for an inter%ention based in

tools and collaborati%e ma(ing, and renders a 3ma(erspace4 a suitable space to stud.

ma(erspace is a communal wor(shop. $t contains a set of tools and it is open to the public to

carr out their own pro5ects using them, engaging with each other in a culture of collaboration

and sharing 0ritton 2E"2). s opposed to the indi%idual ;o!$t!Gourself, these places le%erage

the power of the communit. People that use the ma(erspace are ma(ers, or rather, ma(ers get

together being a communit first and then find a communal place to wor(


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contraposition to a formal, legal, registered, safe, oriented to profit and autonomous one. +his

dualit is unli(el to be real, as the lin(s between formal and informal acti%ities are far more

comple& Chen 2E"2). ood practices also happen in the informal econom 6ahhat et al.

2E"2).

#igure 4 These images are use1 to 1ifferentiate 6formal; from 6informal; recycling, although they 1o notprovi1e information about legality, registration, ta9es, or even metho1s*


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obser%ed in $ndia -ochat et al. 2EED) and Peru 6ahhat I Williams 2EEF). 9owe%er, the

proposal for hanas e!waste strateg aims at substituting informal reccling with formal

sstems Pwamang 2E"").

'ome approaches ha%e not wor(ed. $n 0angalore a new large scale e!waste management

compan was imposed, informal wor(ers were forced to cede their collection points, and man

li%elihoods were lost -edd 2E":). 9igh!tech, capital intensi%e reccling factories are not

considered appropriate for e%er countr 'chluep 2EEF, Lundgren 2E"2), and failed in China

because of the lac( of an efficient collection networ( Wang et al. 2EED). +he reason wh

competing with informal e!waste collectors does not wor( is that the are used to bu old

de%ices, while man formal companies assume that users will drop them for free


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#n%ironmental in5ustice is tpicall lin(ed with a large compan or go%ernment e&ploiting the

population andor the local en%ironment. 9owe%er, in gbogbloshie there are no such

companies forcing people to sta in to&ic 5obs the do not want. $n a wa, it is the bigger

economical sstem that traps them b not pro%iding enough re%enue to brea( from po%ert.

Wor(ers in gbogbloshie 3are gi%en no protecti%e gear4 geman 2E""12) but there is no

compan to demand that gear from. 3;umping e!waste on the poor4 summarises the

en%ironmental in5ustice. 9owe%er, materials going into gbogbloshie are not dumped but bought

b the scrap dealers, as processing of some parts of e!waste can ield an economic %alue.


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nalsing business models is coherent with suggestions to impro%e the economics of the place

'chluep et al. 2EEF).

+he Customer Balue Chain nalsis CBC) requires a pre%ious definition of the business

model, and then helps identif sta(eholders and its relationships to the products designed

;onaldson 2EE@). +he final result is a graph that reflects all transactions ta(ing place in the

sstem down to a predefined granularit. +his %isualisation can then be used to inform the

product design process.

$. %ethodology

+his chapter outlines the research questions, the different methods used to gather data, a

description of the partners in%ol%ed, the methodological arrangements required to appl the C,a list of ethical issues, and limitations found.

3.1. +esearch ,uestions

+his dissertation aims at characterising the e!waste reccling acti%ities in gbogbloshie,

including the understanding of waste and resource, the %alue chain of e!waste, and the li%es

and aspirations of the wor(ers, in order to inform the introduction of tools that could impro%e the

situation. +his can be summarised into two main research questions1

") 9ow are general concepts about e!waste such as narrati%e, dualit wasteresource

and %alue chain understood on the ground?

2) What is needed for a successful introduction of tools for e!waste reccling?

$n more practical terms, this dissertation will aim at finding out1

". What are the aspects that differentiate 3waste4 from 3resource4 in gbogbloshie?

2. ;oes the current narrati%e reflect accuratel the situation on the ground? $s there a basis

for a different one?

:. What is the %alue chain of the e!waste materials processed there?

=. What are the aspects that e!waste recclers %alue more about their li%es?

. What role can a /a(erspace pla for human de%elopment in that conte&t?

@. 9ow can the introduction of new low!tech, low!cost tools impro%e e!waste wor(ers

capabilities?

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3.2. Methods

mi&ed approach was applied, integrating three main acti%ities1 semi!structured inter%iews to

people in%ol%ed in e!waste reccling, acti%e participation in the acti%ities of a local organisation

/P), and deploing tools and analsing its introduction.

$nter%iews were carried out with cable burners and scrap dealers in order to find out about their

resources and capabilities, members and participants in the /a(erspace, representati%es of

local 7Os, and members of the #n%ironmental Protection genc #P).

/P organised a series of e%ents which $ 5oined1 %isits to the scrap ard, interaction with scrap

dealers, meetings with the local leadership, ma(er sessions, and 3camps4. +hese acti%ities

re%ol%ed around the idea of building a /a(erspace in gbogbloshie. +he included the design

and build!up of its structure, plastic reccling e&periments, designing special clothes for e!waste

recclers, building a computer with reccled parts sourced from gbogbloshie, and two acti%ities

directl lin(ed with this research1 the ma(ing of a quadcopter and the assembl of a pedal!

powered cable shredder.

+his wor( brings as well some elements of Participator ction -esearch 6indon et al. 2EEA). $t

is a ground!up approach focusing more on the bottom and less on the leadersM its philosophand results are openM it engages in a situation of social and en%ironmental in5usticeM and brings

in appropriate technolog.

! 22 !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

3.3. artners

+his research was carried out in cooperation with multiple partners. +he inter%iews with the

cable burners were done in cooperation with 9eather gepong, / student at oldsmiths

8ni%ersit, London, and were facilitated b Wolfgang mpem, from the 7O 39elp the frican

Children4 9C). /embers of the Creati%it roup, engineering students at the 6wame

7(rumah 8ni%ersit of 'cience and +echnolog 678'+) in 6umasi, contributed to the ma(ing

sessions assembling and building the tools.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

natural resources, as en%ironmental impacts were considered the result of other choices, and

material resources as this inter%ention is not supposed to pro%ide an. "esources MR FR NR R E.S % PsR ! "R SR

Pedal powered cable shredder

uadcopter

/a(erspace

'a%ings schemes loans

8nderstanding %alue chain

Challenging the narrati%e

#igure +4 "elationship between the resources an1 tools un1er stu1y* Source4 the Author*

3.. Ethical issues and positionalit*

3-esearch fatigue4 was identified among ethical issues. #!waste recclers, speciall cable

burners, are tired of inter%iews and pictures, e%en more when their situation has not impro%ed

during the ears. 3Child labour4 was as well, defined as 6wor0 that 1eprives chil1ren of their

chil1hoo1, their potential an1 their 1ignity, an1 that is harmful to physical an1 mental

1evelopment; $LO "FA:1")* 9a*ardous wor( cannot be underta(en b people ounger than "D

according to international regulations. 9owe%er in gbogbloshie ounger wor(ers carr out

harmful acti%ities such as cable burning. s setting the age limit for the inter%iews at "D would

ha%e meant missing information from a rele%ant group, it was chosen ", the age at which

compulsor schooling ends.

-egarding positionalit, an acti%e and engaged role was chosen. +wo attitudes needed to be

a%oided1 the 3white sa%iour comple&4 'traubhaar 2E"=), and techno!centrism. 0oth of them

! 2= !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

entail the ris( of thin(ing ha%ing the solution to all problems. +he best antidote for this was the

culture of cooperation and collaboration established with the partners. +he lac( of mechanical

and electronic s(ills also contributed to being dependant on the group wor(, not ta(ing

e&cessi%e protagonism.

3.$. i#itations

One of the main limitations was related to time. +his is a si&!wee( fieldwor( stud that can onl

be prospecti%e, studing potential effects of the inter%entions. nalsing more consistent

change needs a longer stud. second limitation affected the qualit of the information

gathered. 'e%eral inter%iewees were not fluent in #nglish and repeated answers of others,

raising doubts about their accurac. 7ot being an ethnographic research, it lac(s some depth in

the understanding of the situation. third limitation was methodological. Choosing someresources o%er others left out potential for de%elopment.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

gbogbloshie is sometimes referred to as an 3e!waste dump4 6lein 2EEF,


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure @4 rea0-up of the 1ismantling activities in Agbogbloshie an1 fate of the elements from e-wasteshowing in re1 the ha3ar1ous activities an1 results*Source4 the Author, base1 on Song et al*


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure B4 Map of the Agbogbloshie Scrap Car1 an1 surroun1ings* Source4 (penStreetMap*

+his narrati%e has shaped the interest gbogbloshie recei%ed. When health ha*ards ha%e been

in%o(ed, doctors ha%e arri%ed, and when child labour has surfaced, 7Os ta(ing care of

children ha%e done their wor(. s it is said to be an e!waste dump, people with an $+

bac(ground li(e mself ha%e turned up. 'till there are some aspects not ta(en care of.

7umerous cars, car parts, engines, end up there, but as the do not ma(e it to the media there

is no 3/echanics Without 0orders4 summoned, which would probabl be a great help to impro%e

car parts processing acti%ities.

! 2F !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

We need help vs. we need help to improve our businesses

portrait of the place as an 3e!waste hell4 dri%es opinion towards shutting it down. Children

should not be there but in school. 9owe%er, the go there afterschool and spend some hours

gathering e&tra mone needed b their families.

+he ris( of to&ic waste is e&plained in the literature re%iew. 9owe%er, the wa how it is affecting

gbogbloshie needs debate. /aterials dumped or burnt e.g. C-+ leaded glass and cable

plastics containing brominated flame retardants) do ha%e an impact, but the might not 5ustif b

themsel%es the le%els of pollution found. ll pollutants in e!waste found in the literature,

including hea% metals, are lin(ed directl to gbogbloshies soil and air pollution. 9owe%er,

man of those hea% metals are inside the Printed Circuit 0oards PC0s), which are not

dumped nor burnt but e&ported. Crude processing including acid leaching might release to&icsubstances elsewhere, but it has not been reported in gbogbloshie Pra(ash et al. 2E"E,

Oteng!babio 2E"2b).

Car waste, speciall batteries, might be contributing to the pollution. 0 definition a car batter is

neither e!waste nor W###. 0ut in a wa, the are also electrical components, and for some

people li(e #P representati%es) the are considered as well 3e!waste4 because the are

processed in an 3e!waste processing area4. n inaccurate definition of soil pollution sources can

blur the analsis and pre%ent the right solutions.

nother aspect not sufficientl present in the public image of the area is that it is a wor(ing

place. While Old


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

salar, it suffices b local standards. -egarding gbogbloshies population as 3the poor4 needs

to be substituted for a much more nuanced %iew. +he difference between poor people as(ing for

help, and a group of wor(ers as(ing for 6help*** to improve our businesses; $nter%iew A

2AE@"=) is a %er rele%ant one. s in the pre%ious section, highlighting a different part of the

stor might bring different people in, and 3#conomists Without 0orders4 could stud suggestions

such as Lundgrens 2E"2) to set up cooperati%es for pooling resources.

Reframing the environmental injustice argument

s e&plained in the literature re%iew man authors ha%e tagged the problems in gbogbloshie

as 3en%ironmental in5ustice4, and the e&pression 3dumping on the poor4 has been used to

summarise them. While ac(nowledging that the situation is not fair, and that the negati%e

aspects cannot be understated, it is %ital to note that the framing, as e&plained abo%e, is notaccurate.

-egarding e!waste, there is no dumping but trade and dismantling ta(ing place. People

processing it might be poor but on a%erage the are not, and some of the waste streams can be

con%erted to resource streams. PC0s are e&ported, their ris(s being displaced somewhere else.

'ome methods used b the recclers do pose a ris(, while others do not, and it is worth as(ing

if the ha%e a choice about which method to use.

#!waste processing could benefit those carring it out, if the do it safel, and the proof is the

proposed green economyfor the #8, based on waste as a source of materials #C 2E"=).

9owe%er, international e!waste trade is considered an en%ironmental in5ustice and a crime b

$nterpol for brea(ing #8 law CW$+ 2E"=). /anhart et al 2E"=) find that the ma5orit of the

illegal e&ports are C-+s and end!of!life fridges, which means that man used computers are

being e&ported legall. +his legal trade of used electronics also ends up generating e!waste with

some ears of dela. 8nder this light it could be said that the implementation of the 0asel trade

ban has %er little effect on cable burning acti%ities in gbogbloshie.

+herefore, $ argue that en%ironmental in5ustice in gbogbloshie could be better understood as

the una%ailabilit of tools that allow proper e!waste reccling, mitigating its ris(s, increasing

wor(ers choices to use less pollutant methods and to benefit from its resources. 7e%ertheless,

it cannot be ruled out that along the e!waste %alue chain there are also unfair economic

arrangements that result in e&ploitation of a particular group or tribe.

! :" !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

+o sum up, in contrast with the pessimistic, partial narrati%e about gbogbloshie that dominates

in the media, there are grounds to offer a new, optimistic one. $t is based on ac(nowledging that

electronic waste also means electronic resources, on reconsidering the scrap ard as an

industrial area rather than a dump and their wor(ers as emerging entrepreneurs instead oflabelling them as poor, and on reframing the en%ironmental in5ustice in terms of lac( of

appropriate tools rather than on being %ictims of international e!waste trade.

4.2. 0nderstanding the e-waste %alue chain

ow the !crap "ealers# business loo$s li$e

Once established the e&istence of an economic sstem, appropriate tools can be used to

analse it, such as the %alue chain to identif transactions and actors, and the business modelcan%as. +he following analsis was carried out in collaboration with $% suo and Gasmine

bbas from /P in order to combine their field (nowledge with that e&tracted from the

literature. +he methodolog followed is the CBC ;onaldson 2EE@).

+he first step is identifing the scrap dealers business model


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure E4 usiness mo1el canvas of the scrap 1ealersF activities* Source4 AMP an1 the Author*

! :: !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

The scrap dealers# customer value chain

+he ne&t steps are identifing the different plaers step 2), and the relationships and

interactions amongst them step :). +he following plaers were identified1 ### dealers,

collectors, scrap dealers, the ';, the go%ernment, cable burners, middlemen, e&porters,industries, ### refurbishers, e&ternal manufacturers and internal manufacturers referred as

3ma(ers4).

### dealers bu loads of computers at the Port of +ema, sort them, and sell the non!functional

ones to scrap dealers. Collectors wander around ccra and collectbu old e!waste, scrap

metals, and other %aluable material from homes and businesses, and carr it to gbogbloshie

on pushcarts. 'crap dealers perform disassembling tas(s. +he '; represents the whole

communit towards the outside world. o%ernment includes e%erone with administrati%e

functions1 the 7GC, the #P, and the ccra /unicipal uthorit /). +he cable burners are

the group of oung people specialised in burning cables to remo%e the copper. +he middlemen

bu from the dismantlers and store material in gbogbloshie to be sold afterwards. +he

e&porters are companies that send those materials out of hana. $ndustries are local

businesses such as smelters that will reccle the materials. +he small e&ternal ma(ers use

materials from gbogbloshie to build other components, and the internal ma(ers do similarl but

are based on site.

'tep = consists in finding out which are the core components of the flow, those that would (eep

their acti%ities not cruciall influenced b how the others perform. +he main actors identified are

### dealers, collectors, scrap dealers, local industries, and e&porters. ll others could be

substituted somehow. +he '; is not considered critical regarding business continuit, as if the

o%ernment e%icts the place, the acti%ities will be replicated somewhere else. +he final CBC is

shown in


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure 4 ustomer Halue hain Analysis of the scrap 1ealersF business in Agbogbloshie* Source4 AMPan1 the Author*

! : !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

%&'s have a mar$et price of (,) *+$g as of une -/0.

s shown abo%e, after disassembl man components from e!waste find their wa out of

gbogbloshie %ia mar(et mechanisms.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure 4 ?igh-gra1e Ps store1 insi1e a container property of a mi11leman in Agbogbloshie* Source4the Author*

Balue is added at each stage of the trade. 'crap dealers e&tract the PC0s, middlemen

accumulate them in containers, and e&porters in +ema ha%e connections with international

dealers.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

Wor(ers onl (now the price at which the bu or sell, but are unaware of the rest of the chain.

+hus, scrap dealers selling PC0s at "E 9H do not (now how much the middlemen sell them

for, nor how much the are worth in the international mar(et. +he price differences lea%e a

rele%ant margin in the case of remo%ing the intermediate steps. 'ome studies suggest scrap

dealers to deal directl with the refineries Pra(ash et al. 2E"E), but it seems difficult unless

refineries set up shop in gbogbloshie. +he fact that state!of!the!art refineries are not recei%ing

material from gbogbloshie seems to be more related to the lac( of a proper commercial

networ( rather than low prices. $n a different conte&t Williams et al. 2E":) propose an interface

organisation that replaces both middlemen and e&porters.

+he difference in prices from the first to the last stage opens the door for an incenti%e to collect

also non!recclable parts. 8nder the 0o2W approach, the surplus obtained could finance thereco%er of non!recclable parts that otherwise would be dumped. +his seems feasible in

gbogbloshie, although the en%ironmental benefits will probabl not be able to compete with

higher prices from another bidder. tight price competition disregarding en%ironmental

considerations would ma(e the 0o2W approach 5ust a scheme that pas better. $ am unaware of

refineries starting operations in gbogbloshie. 9owe%er, one middleman inter%iewed considers

that 6the hinese pay better than the Germans;$nter%iew D EEA"=), which suggests

prospecti%e acti%ities.

Cutting out the middlemen could ha%e consequences in two was.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

4.3. u#an e%elop#ent indicators

$t is unclear whether wor(ers in gbogbloshie ha%e a choice regarding the ha*ardous acti%ities

the perform. /oreo%er, the question would be how free the are to carr out their wor( and

li%es. $n this section the resources a%ailable to them to achie%e meaningful li%es are e&plored,

differentiating two groups1 the cable burners, ounger and dependant on the scrap dealers

trade, and the scrap dealers themsel%es.

1nowing the cable burners

2E people were inter%iewed in : different groups, organised with the mediation of Wolfgang

mpem from 9C, who has a good and regular relationship with the cable burners and is highl

%alued b them, and whom was inter%iewed as well. +he inter%iews were held 5ust beside the

burning areas, their wor(ing place


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

forward. /an of them used mobile mone to send remittances to their families. 'ome did not

trust the sstem and preferred to use bus dri%ers who would deli%er the mone in person in

e&change of a small fee. +he cable burners did not seem to be indebted. /an of them

participated in indi%idual sa%ing schemes 3susu4, e&plained in detail in section =..:.). 'ome of

them howe%er did not participate because the had lost their sa%ings after a local susu collector

disappeared.

ll of them dropped from school being between F and "= ears old. ll of them had the will to

learn new s(ills, and would li(e to become mechanics, computer technicians, football plaers, or

e%en businessmen. +he said the would learn an 5ob1 6Any :ob they put me I can learn it;

$nter%iew " "AE@"=). One of the inter%iewees was slightl upset when answering this

question, as it did not ma(e sense to him to indulge in wishful thin(ing, (nowing that those

dreams were ne%er going to happen anwa. +heir health, according to them, was good.9owe%er the admitted being sic( around once per month, which the attributed to malaria.

+he cable burners ha%e been the main image of gbogbloshie in se%eral documentaries and

photograph e&hibitions, and more than :E documentalists ha%e %isited the site in the last ears

$nter%iew = "FE@2E"=), claiming that their pictures would raise awareness. +he burners did

ha%e notice of their own popularit, and also of some pri*es and fame earned b those who

came to picture them. +he are %er critical about this, feeling used and not getting anthing in

return. Onl one e&ception was re%ealed1 $talian photographer Balentino 0ellini, who is tra%ellingthe world picturing e!waste reccling acti%ities for his 0it-ot Pro5ect 0ellini, 2E"=).


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure 4 A group of cable burners ta0es a rest in one of their she1s at the en1 of the scrap yar1*Source4 ?eather Agyepong*

+he burners were also %er critical of %isitors to gbogbloshie, most of them white people from

abroad. +he considered that %isitors were paing mone to the ';, of which the burners

ne%er got ad%antage. $ could get anecdotal confirmation of this %ia another white %isitor that

admitted paing 2E to the ';, and a documentar paing a 3tip4 uardiola 2E"2). +he were

also %er critical towards acti%ist /i(e nane for following the same scheme, ma(ing clear that

he was not welcome there. $ got confirmation %ia four different sources of the amounts of mone

that nane as(ed for his ser%ices and %isits to the site1 K2EEda, @EEda, :,EEEwee( and

one documentar where the refuse their ser%ices without mentioning his name uardiola,

2E"2).

+he seemed eager to communicate their opinions. tentati%e pro5ect b 9C is to pro%ide

them with a smartphone to use +witter. different approach could be to gather them to write a

letter to the global media. 0oth ideas bring a set of issues related to $C+=; pro5ects, li(e the

! =" !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

representati%it of those using +witter, what might happen when internal conflicts li(e the ones

presented ma(e their wa to a global audience, and how prepared would the cable burners be

to maintain a debate in the public space.

+he cable burners might be considered the poorest group in the site, but more disad%antaged

groups e&ist. +he wor( in pairs of 3master4 and 35unior4, and those ounger ones earn e%en

less. 'till, the are there because gbogbloshie is a place of opportunities when compared to

the 7orth, where there is onl farming and har%ests are not good e%er ear.

The lives that the scrap dealers value

'imilar social patterns were found among scrap dealers. Gounger ones do not ha%e an social

support apart from their peers, and as the grow up the e%entuall get married, ha%e (ids, andsettle.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

'crap dealers were less aware than cable burners of the international media portraal about

gbogbloshie. +he were more concerned about local newspapers, and how the bad name of

the area could be le%eraged to e%ict them from the area.

$f the had e&tra mone, the would either send it to their families, sa%e it, or rein%est it in the

business.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure +4 This is how resources are valuable for the wor0ers at Agbogbloshie* Source4 the Author*

4.4. Makerspaces can be a tool "or de%elop#ent

A3% is building a 3a$erspace in Agbogbloshie

/P was m main field partner. Led b Gasmine bbas and ;6 Osseo!sare it is defined as 6aseries of informal ma0ersF KcampsK to buil1 the future of Agbogbloshie;/P 2E"=). +he

building of their /a(erspace, a communal wor(shop as defined in the literature re%iew, at

gbogbloshie, was their narrati%e thread, and on top of that the organised all other acti%ities.

/P deliberatel engages with the economic aspects, as the consider that the en%ironmental

and health ones ha%e been widel discussed alread. +he target the bottom of the population,

! == !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

the 3ha%e!nots4, and help them thri%e without creating conflicts for them. +he belie%e in

incremental wor( and in not lea%ing anone behind.

+heir /a(erspace is called 3'pacecraft4. +he want to con%e the message that it is a space for

crafting, and at the same time it is a %ehicle that will enable gbogbloshie to connect with the

world, while creating there a new space. +he /P crew is strong in architecture, and want to

build something that stands out in the architectural chaos of the place unpa%ed roads,

precarious sheds %ulnerable to the weather), and at the same time is cost!effecti%e and could be

replicated in the area. +he design selected for the place is an 3octet truss4


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

words of ;6 Osseo!sare, co!leader of /P1 6e want to give agency to those at the bottom to

1estabilise the system;$nter%iew "" "EEA"=)*ccording to /P there are inno%ati%e tools in

gbogbloshie and at the same time huge inefficiencies.

/P admits that a /a(erspace does not turn the wor(ers li%es upside down. 9owe%er the

architectural benefits embedded in its design could be replicated in other structures. +his is

what the call 61esign as a tool;, and it would be one wa b which architectural ser%ices could

permeate to people that do not ha%e the resources to pa for them. 6uu(uwa /anful and

#mmanuel Ofori!'arpong, two architects in the /P team, share this interest in social

architecture, as opposed to the more usual architecture for rich clients. +he %alue the

importance for the health of a famil of being able, for instance, to place a second window at the

other side of the room for proper %entilation.

/P wants to be a portal for the e!waste recclers to the outside world, e&panding their social

relations so that the can ta(e ad%antages of new opportunities. +he ac(nowledge the

importance of the scrap business for the hanaian econom and for the global metals suppl,

and belie%e that rebranding the wor(ers acti%it would be helpful.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure !4 An AMP camp session at ?ub Accra outlining the actions nee1e1 to buil1 the Ma0erspace


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

to help them in the future as well in man was. +he %alue the increase in their self!confidence

and the chance to ma(e the world a better place.

+he 'pacecraft has not landed et but it is alread ha%ing a positi%e impact in terms of human

de%elopment among those more closel in%ol%ed. +he philosoph of open collaboration and

sharing allows the s(ills of those better prepared to be a%ailable to those less s(illed. +he

/a(erspace will show o%er the coming months how it can deli%er on its mission.

4.. A stor* o" three tools

+hree different tools were assessed1 a cable shredder to process copper wire, a quadcopter to

acquire aerial imager, and microcredits to boost local businesses. +he three ha%e %er different

aims and target different groups. +his section will e&plain the wor( carried out with them and the

suggestions for implementation deri%ed from it.

4..1. Cable hredder

5ntroducing 62source7 a pedal2powered cable shredder

9al Watts is a designer based in London who %isited gbogbloshie in 2E"". 9e traced the %alue

chain of copper from the cable burners to the e&porters, assessed different options for cableshredding, and designed a shredder attached to a biccle that could a%oid cable burning. $t

reduced cables to tin bits, separating plastic b flotation Watts 2E"2). We first got in contact in

Paris in 2E": and this pro5ect follows on from his wor( b testing the de%ice ! which $ too( with

me ! in ccra. +he pedal!powered cable shredder is called 3#!source4, as an antagon to the

term 3e!waste4. +he de%ice ta(en to ccra is a second, impro%ed %ersion designed and built

together with /att 0atchelor at the /a(er%ersit in London


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure @4 $-source pe1al-powere1 cable shre11er4 version


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#igure B4 Innovation criteria accor1ing to Schluep et al*


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

(ept %ia email, sending results and recei%ing suggestions. +his communication wor(ed for some

aspects, but different schedules at both ends pre%ented more collaboration.

+esting resumed after finding a local wor(shop that drilled the shaft.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

ow to implement the cable shredder

+he local capacit has pro%ed enough to ensure that the cable shredder functions well. Local

wor(shops can repair and build parts for it, (nowledgeable engineering students understand

how the machine wor(s and can teach it to others, and there will be a space for ma(ing inside

gbogbloshie where design and testing operations can be carried out. 7ot onl the technolog

seems appropriate, but the en%ironment around it too.

+he machine, howe%er, does not sol%e all technical problems. +he si*e of the cables is one, as

in its present configuration, there is a ma&imum diameter that can be processed. +hic( cables,

or those coming pac(ed together such as those from cars, would still be burnt. +his highlights

the issue of portraing an incorrect narrati%e about the place. $f the media had shown 3a car!

waste hell4 as well as an 3e!waste hell4, the solutions arri%ing could ha%e focused on the car

parts as well.

second problem is the speed of processing.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

de%elopment the machine can contribute in two areas1 impro%ed s(ills, and better income, while

opening at the same time the option of creating entrepreneurial acti%ities based on ma(ing

andor renting #!sources.

4..2. uadcopter

5ntroducing the 8uadcopter

quadcopter is a tpe of 8nmanned erial Behicle 8B) that flies propelled b four motors.

'e%eral commercial %ersions range from small tos to professional de%ices used for

photograph, en%ironmental monitoring ;unbabin I /arques 2E"2), or humanitarian response

/osterman et al. 2E"=). +he quadcopter used in this pro5ect is a low!cost alternati%e to the

professional models, made out of foam, rubber bands, the mandator electrical and electronic

parts, and an rduino open!source brain. $t is an original design b /edecins 'ans


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3a$ing the 8uadcopter

+he components, bought in London and transported, could ha%e been ordered from hana. +he

materials are manufactured in sia, so #urope is as dependant on e&ternal suppliers as frica,

being the main difference the distribution in the last mile.

'amuel moa(o!


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manual mode, performing a nice and stable flight


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4..3. a%ings and loans

Credit could be a third tool useful to impro%e gbogbloshies inhabitants de%elopment. 8nli(e

the pre%ious two, it is a 3soft4 tool, not in%ol%ing an ma(ing, and it could be offered b

microfinance entities better than b a /a(erspace. /icrocredits ha%e pro%en useful for

de%elopment in some aspects 6hand(er 2EE) although the must not be considered a hol

grail 0aner5ee et al. 2E":).

+he first immediate finding was that e%erone in gbogbloshie seemed to be in%ol%ed in

sa%ings, but %er few were getting loans, mostl informal. +he traditional sa%ing scheme, called

3susu4, is a communal sa%ing scheme, a tpe of rotating sa%ings association abianu "FFE,

n(u!+sede 2E":). +he name has sur%i%ed and it is widespread in hana. One %ariation of it,

3dail susu4, is a personal scheme b which the indi%idual sa%es the same amount dail


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#igure +4 A 1aily susu account showing the 1ates of the cash entries, the amount


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One opportunit would be offering fle&ible repament conditions. low!interest credit might be

interesting but no one complained for the high rates of those e&isting. 'a%ings could also be

impro%ed b schemes such as 3labelled susu4 in which mone is sa%ed towards a particular

purpose 6arlan et al. 2E"=).

'umming up, all three tools e&plored ha%e offered potential benefits. ll three ha%e also shown

that implementation is not straightforward, and it needs careful consideration of the situation on

the ground to a%oid unwanted negati%e impacts and to boost the positi%e ones. $n terms of

human de%elopment the cable shredder, the quadcopter, and microcredits can all contribute b

increasing income, s(ills, and self!confidence of the e!waste recclers. +he target different

subgroups1 while the quadcopter is a tool for the /a(erspace, the cable shredder is meant for

the cable burners, and microcredits are for e%erone. +hese tools should be considered as

solutions to particular problems and as assets being part of a larger portfolio, hosted andcontinuousl impro%ed under the philosoph of common wor( of /Ps 'pacecraft.

(. Conclusions

nswers for the two general research questions ha%e been pro%ided. Baluable information has

been gathered about the dualit wasteresource, e!waste %alue chain, and the elements

composing the actual narrati%e of gbogbloshie and a potential new one. 'e%eral rele%ant

aspects ha%e been identified that will ma(e the introduction of tools for e!waste reccling more

successful. 'ome of the more particular questions ha%e also been answered satisfactor, while

for those relating with tools more time would ha%e helped gathering better data.

ll throughout this wor( the conflict between the meanings of waste and resource has become

e%ident. +here is no clear border between them, rather an o%erlap and both can be applied at

times. ;eciding if something is either waste or resource is in the ee of the beholder, who needs

to consider if 3non!wor(ing electronics4 are reall useless or ha%e high %alue components thatcan be e&tracted and sold.


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are e&tracted and sold abroad. 'ome pollution might be related with other (inds of waste, li(e

acid lead batteries.


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better future because the belie%e the will ne%er get it. What the %alue, in general, is to ha%e

s(ills, that in turn allow them to ha%e better 5obs and higher incomes, and mone to impro%e

their businesses. +heir social networ( also opens up more opportunities, although the would

not mention it straightforward, and the need of good health affects all other personal resources.

One potentiall rele%ant place to boost social relations, de%elop new s(ills, open new was to

increasing income, and in summar bring about de%elopment, is a /a(erspace. 0ased on open

and collaborati%e wor( nderson 2E"2), the pro5ect underta(en b the gbogbloshie

/a(erspace Platform can also be a window towards people e&ternal to the site.

/a(erspace seems the right en%ironment to host a pedal!powered cable shredder. Cable

shredding is one of the 3best applicable technologies4 'chluep et al. 2EEF). +his machine, built

at the indi%idual scale, is designed to be replicated at a low cost. $t has to compete with fire asthe preferred technolog to process copper wires, so it is needed to add more %alue to the

process. +his pro5ect succeeded partiall in testing the shredder. 9owe%er, results should arri%e

in the coming months, focusing on the cable burners as a priorit target.

nother low!cost alternati%e tested was the quadcopter, useful among other uses for mapping

and building a more accurate narrati%e. strong point is that it is high technolog at the disposal

of a low technolog setting. When deploed, it is important to properl inform the population

about the missions carried out and the results obtained, so that its public image remains clear.

When considering financial instruments, most of the people were in%ol%ed in sa%ings but loans

were almost ine&istent. +he main reason seemed to be fear of the ban( coming after their

properties for missing repaments, which might happen due to the irregularit of the scrap

business. ;espite the high interest rates no one pointed at them as the reason not to ta(e loans,

and repament fle&ibilit could be a more %alued characteristic of a successful loan scheme.

$t has been %aluable to appl a fle&ible methodological approach. $ side more with 'en 2EEE)

than with 7ussbaum 2EE")1 b defining m own set of capabilities $ ha%e focused in what $

considered more important, otherwise $ could ha%e studied aspects irrele%ant in the end. $

ac(nowledge the ris( of constructing m own %iew, but $ do not e&pect to be the onl one

researching the place.

! @E !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

$ am satisfied b ha%ing acti%el engaged in the issue. $ find %aluable that researchers contribute

to issues as part of their research itself. $ was told that no foreign researcher had spent si&

wee(s in ccra around e!waste acti%ities. $ was also told that no one had brought to

gbogbloshie a machine similar to the cable shredder. Lea%ing aside the accurac of these

affirmations, $ can sa that $ consider that engagement, howe%er minimal, is better than 5ust

obser%ing. different positionalit would ha%e brought up a complete different result.

-egarding the ethical issues outlined, $ found some reluctance from cable burners to be

inter%iewed. 9owe%er, $ would not call this 3research fatigue4. $t has more to do with media than

research, and people are tired of recei%ing nothing in e&change. $ would rename the

phenomenon to 3unrewarded media o%er!e&posure4. $n terms of child labour, to m (nowledge

no wor(er below " was inter%iewed. 9owe%er, this lea%es some %ulnerable people out of the

stud. $ find questionable m own decision of e&cluding them, as their opinion is now in%isible tom research.

n important insight is the need to approach the issue from a triple point of %iew. +he three

questions about 3fi&ing the place4 %s. 3sol%ing the issue4 %s. 3helping the people4 ha%e to be

answered concurrentl. solution for the place, li(e the proposed e%iction might fi& the place,

but it does not sol%e the e!waste issue, nor helps the wor(ers. state!of!the!art reccling facilit

might properl reccle e!waste, but it will not help the people unless the right integration of the

informal sector is found, and therefore it will not fi& the place either.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

$ ha%e reached the conclusion, but not the end. $n order to (eep engaged with the acti%ities $ will

contribute financiall to the wor( related to e!waste reccling to be carried out during the ne&t

academic ear b the Creati%it roup of 678'+ and the gbogbloshie /a(erspace Platform.

/emorandum of 8nderstanding has been drafted to co%er the partnership.

#igure +4 AMPFs team hol1 the first pole of the Spacecraft at the location insi1e AgbogbloshieFs scrapyar1 where it will be erecte1* Source4 AMP*

! @2 !


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)ibliogra*hy

c(erman,


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

0rigden, 6., Labuns(a, $., 'antillo, ;., I Nohnston, P. 2EED). hemical contamination at e-wasterecycling an1 1isposal sites in Accra an1 Lofori1ua, Ghana* reenpeace $nternational, msterdam, +he7etherlands.

0ritton, L. 2E"2).


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

#C 2E"=). Preventing an1 managing waste. #uropean Commission. TOnlineU. %ailable at1http 1ec .europa .eu en%ironmentbasics green !econom managing !waste inde& en .htm ccessed 22ugust 2E"=)

#$ 2E""). System failure4 the LFs harmful tra1e in electronic waste. #n%ironmental $n%estigationgenc. TOnlineU. %ailable at1 http 1www .eia !international.org wp !contentuploads 'stem !


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

uardiola, N.. ;irector). 2E"2). iberbasura sin fronteras* T;ocumentarU. 'pain.

9art, 6. "FA:). $nformal income opportunities and urban emploment in hana. The :ournal of mo1ernAfrican stu1ies, ""E"), @"!DF.

9atcher, . ;., $5omah, W. L., I Windmill, N.


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

Li, N., Lu, 9., uo, N., Vu, X., I Xhou, G. 2EEA). -eccle technolog for reco%ering resources andproducts from waste printed circuit boards. $nvironmental science Q technology, ="@), "FF!2EEE.

Lucie


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

Oteng!babio, /. 2E"2b). +he Legal and the -easonable1 #&ploring the ;namics of #!waste ;isposal'trategies in hanaian 9ouseholds. Oournal of S-hina PublicA1ministration, F"), :D!2.

Oteng!babio, /. 2E"2c). When 7ecessit 0egets $ngenuit1 #!Waste 'ca%enging as a Li%elihood'trateg in ccra, hana. enter for African Stu1ies, niversity of #lori1a African Stu1ies Nuarterly, ":,

"!2".

Pic(ren, . 2E"=). Political ecologies of electronic waste1 uncertaint and legitimac in the go%ernance ofe!waste geographies. $nvironment an1 Planning, =@"), 2@!=.

Porter, /. #. 2EED). ompetitive a1vantage4 reating an1 sustaining superiorperformance. 'imon and'chuster.

Pra(ash, '., /anhart, ., moaw!Osei, G., I ge(um, O. O. 2E"E). Socio-economic assessment an1feasibility stu1y on sustainable e-waste management in Ghana. ^(o!$nstitut eB in cooperation withhana #n%ironmental Protection genc #P) I reen d%ocac hana, /inistr of 9ousing, 'patialPlanning and the #n%ironment, B-O/!$nspectorate.

Puc(ett, N., 0ster, L., Wester%elt, '., utierre*, -., ;a%is, '., I 9ussain, . 2EE2). $9porting ?arm4 The?igh-Tech Trashing ofAsia. +he 0asel ction 7etwor(.

Puc(ett, N. 2EE@). R9igh!tech\s dirt little secret1 the economics and ethics of the electronic waste trade.,in 'mith, +., 'onnenfeld, ;. ., I Pellow, ;. 7. #ds.)* hallenging the chip4 5abor rights an1environmental :ustice in the global electronics in1ustry* +emple 8ni%ersit Press, pp. 22!2::.

Pwamang, N.., moaw!Ose, G. 2E""). Ghana national e-waste strategy*

-aabe, G!


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

'chluep, /., /anhart, ., Osiban5o, O., -ochat, ;., $sarin, 7., I /ueller, #. 2E""). Where are W### infrica. #in1ings from the asel onvention $-waste Africa Programme* 'ecretariat of the 0aselCon%ention, 87#P, #8, #/P, ^(o!$nstitut, $/P#L.

'chluep, /., /]ller, #., 9ilt, L. /., Ott, ;., Widmer, -., I 0Yni, 9. 2E":). $nsights from a decade of

de%elopment cooperation in e!waste management.Information an1 ommunication Technologies, =.

'eager, ;., 9ieronmi, 6., /c$ntre, 6., uilcher, 9., I %an -ensburg, -. N. 2E"2). Producerresponsibilit when W### has a %alue. $lectronics Goes Green ++V


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Wang,


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A**endi+es

Appendi5 !6 0pdates %ia Twitter

+his pro5ect has used social media to update about the da to da e%ents %ia a +witter account

_-echub). 9ere are some e&amples of the information posted.

! A" !


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! A2 !


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Appendi5 !!6 7udget+he fieldwor( lasted si& wee(s, it was conducted in NuneNul 2E"=, and it has been self!funded

with a final budget of around 2,DEE.

"oncept "ost bu)gete) Real cost

+-$P

-eturn plane tic(ets 0russels!ccra DEE @=E

#&cess baggage to carr #source %.2 "E @EE

Subtotal Trip @ W +! W

/+#-$L

Local material to set up #source %.2 and other tools potentiall de%eloped EE E

'econd hand laptop for fieldwor( :EE ""E

'econd hand photo camera for fieldwor( E E

uadcopter material E =EE

uadcopter components 9 E E

Subtotal Material @ W @B W


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"afael #$"%&%D$'-#(%T P)"$'

Appendi5 !!! - ow to build a ,uadcopter 8e5tract9

+he batter pro%ided had a connector thatcouldnt be plugged to an other element we

had.

Power connector from thebattery remove1

+he wor(around for this consisted on cutting

the connector and soldering a new one thatcould be plugged with the rest of the circuit.

#ach of the cables is connected to one

indi%idual V+!FE connector a%ailable in order

to di%ide the current. T+his turned out to be

o%er engineered as one V+!FE could ha%e

handled the current loads, as indicated b

$%an.U

attery with the new XT- power connectors

7iring 8arness

We need to build a wiring harness to

distribute the power from the batter to the

four motors.

+he materials needed for this operation are

se%eral pieces of audio cable1 " for each

motor, and 2 to connect with the batter.

Diagram showingthe XT-

connectors, thewiring harness, an1

the connectionsbelow towar1s the

motors*

! A= !


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We need to solder together all the ends of the

cables. +hen a heat shrin( plastic tube will

co%er them.

iring harness aftersol1ering an1 placing the

heat sin0 plastic tube

Po&er o)ule connectors

+he power module ser%es as a power sourcef

Documents

Tools for Informal e Waste Recyclers in Agbogbloshie, Ghana