Why used cooling imports are posing a risk for Ghana – and how behavioural science can help.
Shutterstock / Mikhail P.From 2004 – 2014, more than 3.7 million refrigerators were imported into Ghana. About 75% of them were second-hand, according to a study by Ghana's University of Energy and Natural Resources. Although the import of second-hand fridges and ACs has been banned in Ghana since 2013, they are still freely available.
This poses a substantial problem for the country: The old cooling appliances often contain ozone- and climate-damaging substances and consume lots of energy. The higher energy demand stresses the already overburdened electricity grid, means higher costs for the end user and has a negative impact on Ghana’s ability to fulfil its international treaty obligations. Not to mention the associated environmental hazards.
