A Conversation with Carolina Rapezzi about E-Waste

Component Sense CEO and Founder, Kenny McGee, recently sat down with award-winning photographer and journalist Carolina Rapezzi.

Photographs and Video by Carolina Rapezzi

Carolina Rapezzi is known for her work documenting social, environmental, and humanitarian issues around the globe. “Burning Dreams” was a project by Carolina between 2018 and 2019. During the project, she visited Agbogbloshie, Ghana, then the world’s largest electronic waste landfill, with significant quantities arriving illegally from Western nations, particularly Europe.

While Agbogbloshie was unexpectedly demolished in 2021 by the Ghanaian government, informal e-waste practices are now scattered across the surrounding areas in and around Accra. Carolina’s coverage of Agbogbloshie represented just one example of the global e-waste crisis.

Component Sense is driven to reduce e-waste and minimise its harmful environmental and health effects. In places like Accra, Ghana, e-waste burning severely pollutes the environment and poses serious health risks for long-term workers. Many toxic materials, including lead, mercury, and flame retardants, are present in e-waste. 

Kenny recently had an honest conversation with Carolina about her time creating “Burning Dreams,” which aimed to highlight both the hardships and aspirations of locals working in e-waste recycling sites. Their discussion touched on Western accountability, the resourcefulness of Accra’s locals, and the evolving perception of the electronics sector.

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