Africa is witnessing a huge electronic waste problem

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), children and women are at greater risk of the effects of hazardous pollutants from e-waste recycling activities.

In many African countries such as Kenya, Ghana, and Tanzania children are often involved in waste picking and scavenging, burning discarded e-waste and manually dismantling items for component parts.

Beyond its impact on human health, e-waste exacts a heavy toll on the continent’s environment. Improper disposal methods, such as open burning and landfilling, release toxic pollutants into the air and soil, contaminating ecosystems and damaging biodiversity.

Hazardous substances from electronic waste seep into groundwater, posing long-term threats to aquatic life and compromising the quality of drinking water.

Additionally, e-waste contributes to climate change through the release of greenhouse gases during incineration and decomposition processes.

The extraction and processing of raw materials for electronic devices requires significant energy consumption and carbon emissions, further exacerbating environmental degradation.

The World Economic Forum asserts that beyond a handful of African countries including Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa, and Rwanda, defined regulations covering e-waste management and Extended Producer Responsibility are lacking.

This modern crisis in Africa requires a combination of regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, and public awareness campaigns.

African countries need to invest in e-waste management infrastructure to build capacity for safe and sustainable recycling processes.

Establishing formal recycling facilities equipped with state-of-the-art tech for the extraction and recovery of valuable materials from this waste is essential, minimising environmental pollution and ending the reliance on civilian efforts.

With these pillars established, African countries have the potential to mitigate health and environmental impacts associated with e-waste, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future.