Repair or Ruin? E-Waste, Informal Economies, and the Role of Manufacturers Artwork

Resilient Supply Chain — How Leaders Keep Business Moving

Resilient Supply Chain is for supply chain, operations, procurement and technology leaders who need practical ways to manage disruption, reduce risk and keep business moving.

Each Monday, technology and sustainability analyst, keynote speaker and former SAP Global VP Tom Raftery speaks with the executives, operators, founders and innovators redesigning how goods, information and decisions move through global supply chains.

These are candid conversations about what works in practice—not polished PR narratives or vague predictions. Guests explain how they are responding to supplier failures, geopolitical shocks, volatile costs, capacity constraints, changing regulations and rising pressure to improve both performance and sustainability.

The podcast examines:
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AI, automation, visibility and operational intelligence
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Scope 3 emissions, circularity and responsible sourcing
The systems, incentives and organisational changes needed to turn data into action

The central question is simple: what helps a supply chain withstand disruption, adapt quickly and continue serving the business?

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Resilient Supply Chain — How Leaders Keep Business Moving

Repair or Ruin? E-Waste, Informal Economies, and the Role of Manufacturers

March 24, 2025 • Tom Raftery / Kenny McGee • Season 2 • Episode 60

0:00 | 54:40

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In this episode, I sit down once again with Kenny McGee, CEO of Component Sense, to delve into one of the most confronting aspects of global supply chains — electronic waste, or e-waste.

Kenny recently returned from Agbogbloshie, Ghana, a site once dubbed the world’s largest e-waste dump. What he found there was far more complex than expected: a vast, informal economy built around salvaging, repairing, and repurposing our discarded electronics. From TVs and fridges to circuit boards and copper wiring, items we think are being “recycled” are often ending up in the hands of workers — many of them teenagers — who burn, strip, and break devices using bare hands and basic tools.

We talk through the journey of a used TV from a UK household to the streets of Accra, explore the supply chains that enable illegal exports of e-waste, and reflect on the human and environmental costs tied to our throwaway tech culture. Kenny also shares the hopeful side — stories of resilience, resourcefulness, and local charity-led education and healthcare initiatives.

Key takeaways:

Why the second-hand trade isn’t inherently bad — but needs regulation.
How plastic and clothing waste are compounding the e-waste problem.
The role manufacturers must play in designing for repair and reuse.
Why abrupt changes to e-waste flows could hurt the very people we aim to help.

If you're in supply chain, electronics manufacturing, or sustainability, this one’s well worth your time.

For more, visit ComponentSense.com or follow Kenny on LinkedIn.

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If disruption hit tomorrow, would you know where your supply chain was most exposed? In 15 minutes my free scorecard helps you assess 27 resilience statements, calculate your score, and turn the result into three priorities and a 30 day action plan. You can download the scorecard free at tomraftery.com/scorecard.

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