Ghana bans second-hand fridges
Accra, 1 Jan - (ANA) - A ban on the import of second-hand refrigerators is to enforced in Ghana to reduce energy consumption and harm to the environment. Many old fridges contain chemicals called Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which damage the Earth's ozone layer. Although these are already banned or being phased out, they are thought to be commonly used in Africa.
The head of Ghana's energy commission told the BBC the ban made Ghana "a pioneer in West Africa".  The ban was first introduced in 2008 but was extended to give dealers time to adjust. However, some Ghanaian traders have criticised the ban, saying thousands of jobs will be lost. Energy commission head Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkora says the second-hand refrigerators are harming the country as they were not built for use in Africa and so consume too much electricity.vThe commission says some two million used fridges have been imported to Ghana, mainly from the European Union CFCs are banned under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. To discourage their use, Ghana has introduced a rebate scheme to encourage people to surrender their used refrigerators for a new one. Since CFCs were banned, many fridge manufacturers have replaced them with Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). But last year a UN report warned that HFCs are a greenhouse gas which is 20% more potent that CO2 and so their use could hamper efforts to tackle climate change. Ghana is also a common destination for "e-waste" - used computers and televisions from the West, which often contain toxic material. (ANA)

FA/ANA/1 January 2013----------