“Follow the E-waste” : ‘Bridging the digital divide’ or ‘dumping’; the state of e-waste in Ghana

Electronic products improve and intensify our lives in diverse ways, but their afterlives remain to an enormous point perceived to be an unsolved predicament. This study pursues to explore the travels of used e-waste imported into Ghana seeking to what extent they are reduced, reused and recycled? While seeking the social processes that determine these outcomes as well as contribute to the emerging literature in the field e-waste. The central goal of this study is to examine the nexus of whether sending used electronics to developing countries is often hailed to reduce the wide gap of technological advancement between the global north and the south or they are rather finding dumping sites to dispose of their used electronics. The study uses the theoretical framework of commodity chain analysis to conceptualize the study. The study helped unpacked e-waste revealing that, it was not easy to tell what the clear cut of waste and value embedded in the nodes of the study. This study however, revealed the employment e-waste trade generates in the informal sector at different nodes of the electronic chain. The findings also noticed the socio-economic factors embedded in the e-waste trade. Furthermore, it discloses interestingly, the precious minerals and the value embedded in the chain. In conclusion the paper highlights the crucial role of e-waste in the informal sector and opportunities for further research on the subject.