This article focusses on an inter-disciplinary and mixed-methods study of the critical
circuit of minerals from irregular mines to e-waste dumps in Ghana. The move towards green
energy and climate smart solutions has resulted in an increasing global demand for the minerals
needed for low-carbon technology. This surge has caused a boom in irregular mining activities and
trade in the Global South as the needed resources are moved north for inclusion in electronic
components and products. Ironically, when depleted, these items often end up back in the same
region as where the resources used to produce them were extracted. Shipped and traded as second-
hand products they a