Electronic waste management
What is electronic waste? E-WASTE includes any discarded, nonfunctional or obsolete electronic storage devices including fax machines, mobile (cell) phones, television sets, central processing units, lap tops, computers, tablets,entertainment devices, uninterrupted power supply units as well as medical and military electronic equipment and all types of electric cables.This includes used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal. The dangers of dumping e-waste: On average, electronic equipment contains over 40 different materials including many hazardous ones (e.g. lead, mercury and (airborne) cadmium and beryllium). If the e-scrap is dumped in to landfills (as is the case throughout Africa), the toxic materials eventually permeate the air and leach into ground water systems, which may result in adverse health issues in the local population, affecting the heart, liver, kidneys and lungs (inter alia).
In addition, most electronic goods sold nowadays have a very short lifespan hence quickly add up to the waste in the environment. If there are no proper waste management structures in place, the waste ends up in landfills or illegal dumpsites. These sites are usually frequented by scavengers in search of reusable and recyclable material, posing serious health hazards to themselves as well as residents near the dumps.
Is E-waste Management really a problem in Zimbabwe?
Although e-waste was not a serious issue in Zimbabwe in the past, it is an emerging environmental challenge promising to pose serious health threats if not handled properly.
In the past, psychologically, people could not really throw away electronic goods; they believed the good could still have some value even in a non-functional state. Even if one was able to throw away the non-working electronic good, someone else would probably pick it up and try to make good use of it. That way, the probability of electronic goods polluting the environment was very minimal.
However, with the change in lifestyle and affordability of electronic goods, people are able to throw away non-functional items. With fast changing technology many equipment are becoming obsolete in no time hence the need to come up with a sustainable solution towards the management of E-Waste.
Sustainable solution to electronic waste management
Reduce the amount of E-Waste generated by buying good brands that are durable.
Reuse electronic goods or donate to others if they are still functional or can be fixed.
Recycling electronic waste is a sustainable solution to its management. EMA works with various recycling companies in waste management. For recycling electronic waste EMA works with Enviroserve which can be contacted on +263 772 570 223/772 237 616 or graeme@enviroserve.ae.
For more information email; eep@ema.co.zw. Follow us on Facebook; Environmental Management Agency and Twitter; @EMAeep or visit our website www.ema.co.zw. Alternatively, call us on: Tel 08677006244 and Toll-free 08080028; or use our WhatsApp platform 0779565707. We are ready to listen.