With Kenya generating over 50,000 tonnes of e-waste yearly, there have been calls to have systems in place to manage it and protect the people and environment from its hazardous effects.
Media, which relies heavily on electrical and electronic gadgets to communicate, should actively champion proper e-waste management, as a moral and social responsibility to people’s wellbeing and the environment.
The East African communicators and technologists held the 7th Regional Awareness Conference on Sustainable E-Waste Management in East Africa, from March 24 to 26, to discuss actualisation of the regional e-waste strategy, including e-waste best practices, and tackling challenges.
“We must think broadly about effective e-waste management as a policy imperative. Creating sound policy frameworks will help improve our approach to this crisis,” the Standard quoted ICT Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo as saying, in a story titled, ‘State raises alarm over growing threat of e-waste, urges concerted efforts by all’.
In a speech read by the Principal Secretary John Tanui, Mr Kabogo stated the need for a robust regulatory framework to handle the increasing volume of discarded electronic devices.
According to the Standard the CS noted the expanding digital society and increased use of electronic devices, thus raising the risk of e-waste and ICT-related carbon unless governments, regulators, industry players, and consumers take concerted action now.
The conference themed, ‘Advancing Sustainable E-waste Management in East Africa: The Impact of Extended Producer Responsibility”, sought to create effective awareness of e-waste issues.
.
With Global E-waste Monitor 2024, revealing, a record 62 billion kilograms of e-waste were generated globally in 2022, outpacing formal collection and recycling efforts, media has its job cut out in numerous ways, not just limited to events coverage, but practically being involved in programmes’ support to reduce the accumulation of e-waste.
It has been three years since Parliament established the Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022, with recommendations such as setting up National Environment Complaints Committee, and material recovery facility that will separate and prepare recyclable materials for end users’ manufacturers.
Most importantly, the law empowers county governments to develop own waste management systems, including e-waste, as part of their responsibility to guarantee a clean and conducive environment for people and business.
The media should check how counties are faring on e-waste and organic sorting and recycling.
Nevertheless, Kenya generally is only scratching the surface in dealing with various hazardous components of e-waste. Not just Kenya but also other East Africa Community member states, and Africa at large.
The Standard reported from the e-waste conference that Africa remains particularly vulnerable, with less than one per cent of e-waste being formally collected and recycled.
With Africa emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets for mobile phones and other electronic devices, further exacerbating the e-waste challenge, the CS highlighted the continent is at risk of becoming a dumping ground for outdated and low-quality electronic devices, and regulators should step up measures to prevent this.
The chairperson of the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Mary Mungai told the meeting, ICT sector is one of the main generators of e-waste in the country.
A Nation story titled, ‘Electronic waste a threat to health and the environment,’ published on January 22, 2018 and updated on July 5 2020, states: “Many electronic gadgets including cell phones, computers, televisions, HiFi systems, refrigerators, and a host of other electrical and electronic appliances, are manufactured using a variety of harmful substances such as lead, hexavalent chromium, phthalates and brominated flame retardants.
The story explained that hexavalent chromium is known to cause cancer, affect respiratory system, kidneys, liver, skin and eyes, while phthalates, applied as industrial chemicals, can damage the liver, kidneys, lungs and reproductive system.
Lead affects the liver, kidneys, reproductive system, the nervous system, and also causes brain damage.
Details from the story showed that in 2009, the Kenyan government put a 25 per cent excise duty on all imported refurbished computers, and zero-rated new computers to curb possible dumping of second-hand ones. But there hasn’t been significant outcome in controlling e-waste menace.
As part of problem-solvers, media should accelerate its gear and focus in covering e-waste, along with organic and non-organic types, to avert a health and environmental crisis in future.
