No local e-waste recycling plants in Zambia places the country at risk.

Zambia’s government is becoming increasingly concerned by the way e-waste is being disposed of.

The country continues to ship e-waste to Namibia for recycling, thanks to a partnership established between the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and Namibia-based e-waste recycling firm NamiGreen.

However, authorities remain concerned over the increase in e-waste volumes and have urged local businesses to establish recycling plants.

According to a 2019 report released by ZEMA, the country is experiencing an increase in the volume of e-waste, exacerbated by the high level demand for electronic gadgets and subsequent influx of second-hand equipment from developed countries, many of which are old, near or at end of life.

The report added that Zambia has no facility to manage e-waste “in an environmentally sound manner.”

As he flagged the first shipment of e-waste being sent to Namibia, Amos Malupenga from Zambia’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Service said: “The Zambian government is concerned about the effects of e-waste on the Zambian population because electronic devices such as cellphones are being poorly disposed as little is known on how the disposal should be done.”

ZEMA director general John Msimuko said amid fast-paced technological advancements, consumption of electrical and electronic equipment is also on the rise and so is e-waste.

“When e-waste is openly burnt, resultant toxic chemicals are released polluting the air and damaging the atmosphere thereby presenting a high risk to human health and the environment and when it is disposed at landfills, their toxic materials seep into groundwater, affecting both land and aquatic life,” said Msimuko.

According to a 2018 ICT survey conducted by the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), the country disposes 90% of its e-waste in dumpsites and only 10% of the population using electronic devices are aware of the risk associated with careless disposal of e-waste.