The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of Earth and Mineral Sciences DANGEROUS DONATIONS: DISCARDED ELECTRONICS IN ACCRA, GHANA A Thesis in Geography by Darrell N. Fuhriman 2008 Darrell N. Fuhriman Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science May 2008 The thesis of Darrell Fuhriman was reviewed and approved* by the following: Petra Tschakert Assistant Professor of Geography and the Alliance for Earth Sciences, Engineering, and Development in Africa Thesis Advisor James McCarthy Associate Professor of Geography Karl Zimmerer Professor of Geography Head of the Department of Geography *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School ii Abstract In this thesis, I use the example of Accra, Ghana to examine the fate of computer equipment donated from the global North to the South. These donations, though tangibly beneficial, may have unintended and unanticipated consequences that are unknown to donor organizations in the North. When the computers inevitably fail, they must be discarded. Yet, countries of the South lack adequate facilities to safely reprocess the toxic materials contained in this equipment. As a result, some communities are disproportionately exposed to lead, ground water pollution, and other toxics. I show how the communities affected are not chosen at random and can best be understood using nascent theoretical advances in environmental justice. These advances stress the need for a conception of environmental justice that incorporates not just maldistribution, but lack of recognition of affected parties as possessing equal human rights, and consequent lack of access to environmental decision-making. I argue that political ecology provides a valuable framework for examining environmental injustice, but can also benefit from the incorporation of these theories of environmental justice. iii Table of Contents List of Figures.................................................................................................. vii List of Tables ..................................................................................................viii List of Maps ........................................................................................................ix Abbreviations Used .......................................................................................... x Acknowledgements ........................................................................................xi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................1 1.1. Overview of the Research .......................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2: Literature Review ......................................................................5 2.1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 5 2.2. E-waste and the South ................................................................................................ 5 2.2.1. Transboundary Movement of E-waste ......................................................... 5 2.2.2. Charitable Donations of Computer Equipment .......................................11 2.3. Political Ecology .........................................................................................................12 2.4. Environmental Justice in Political Ecology ...........................................................13 2.5. Political Ecology and Waste .....................................................................................20 2.6. Accra and Waste Management ...............................................................................21 2.7. Summary ......................................................................................................................23 Chapter 3: Methods ....................................................................................... 24 3.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................24 3.1.1. A Note on Currency .......................................................................................24 3.2. Research Design .........................................................................................................24 3.2.1. Research Questions ........................................................................................24 3.3. Research Setting .........................................................................................................26 3.4. Overview of Acquired Data .....................................................................................32 3.4.1. Interviews .........................................................................................................32 3.4.1.1. Organizations Collecting and Distributing Computers ..............33 3.4.1.2. Organizations Receiving Donated Computers .............................34 iv 3.4.1.3. Used Computer Dealers ....................................................................34 3.4.1.4. Informal Waste Recyclers ..................................................................35 3.4.1.5. National Government Officials ........................................................36 3.4.1.6. City Sanitation Officials ....................................................................37 3.4.1.7. Residents of Old Fadama ...................................................................37 3.4.1.8. Residents of Oblogo ...........................................................................39 3.4.2. Other Data ........................................................................................................40 3.4.2.1. Customs Data.......................................................................................40 3.4.2.2. World Computer Exchange Plans ....................................................42 3.4.3. Analyzing Interview Data ..............................................................................43 3.4.4. Conclusion .......................................................................................................43 Chapter 4: Results .......................................................................................... 44 4.1. Introduction ................................................................................................................44 4.2. Organizations Collecting and Distributing Computers .....................................44 4.2.1. Summary ...........................................................................................................46 4.2.2. Sources for Computers Equipment .............................................................47 4.2.3. Before Shipment ..............................................................................................48 4.2.4. Economic Aspects of Donations ..................................................................48 4.2.5. E-waste Management in-country ................................................................49 4.3. Recipient Organizations ...........................................................................................51 4.3.1. Summary ...........................................................................................................51 4.3.2. WCE Plans ........................................................................................................51 4.3.3. Organizations Operating in Ghana .............................................................53 4.4. Used Computer Dealers and Repairers .................................................................55 4.4.1. Summary ...........................................................................................................55 4.4.2. Interview Results .............................................................................................55 4.5. Paths of Disposal ........................................................................................................56 4.5.1. Summary ...........................................................................................................56 4.5.2. Waste Management in Accra .......................................................................58 4.5.3. Oblogo ...............................................................................................................61 4.5.3.1. Scavengers ...........................................................................................64 4.5.4. The Agbogbloshie Scrap Market ..................................................................65 4.5.4.1. Roaming Scrap Collectors .................................................................67 4.5.4.2. Scrap Dealers .......................................................................................71 4.5.5. Old Fadama ......................................................................................................74 v 4.6. CEPS Data ...................................................................................................................76 4.6.1. Conclusion .......................................................................................................77 Chapter 5: Discussion.................................................................................... 80 5.1. Overview ......................................................................................................................80 5.2. Interpretation .............................................................................................................81