The Ministry of Trade and Industry has unveiled initiatives that seek to improve electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) management in the country. 

Under the project, a national e-waste management strategy that will support establishment of sustainable recycling industries will also be instituted.

According to Norbert Remy Duhuze, the director for environment regulation and pollution control at Rwanda Environment Management Authority (Rema), Rwanda has no proper facilities for handling e-waste, nor is there a clear policy.

"Therefore, the project will enable us set up proper e-waste disposal and recycling facilities for materials like old computers, batteries and mobile phones,” he told The New Times in an interview.

E-waste is not bio-degradable and contains dangerous heavy metals like carbon-zinc, silver oxide, lithium and nickel-cadmium.

The project that started in July is funded by the Environment and Climate Change Fund (Fonerwa) to the tune of $1.3 million (about Rwf919.3 million).

E-waste materials contain hazardous components like mercury, lead which can cause skin diseases and cancer when not properly handled, Duhuze noted.

He said Rwanda has one e-waste collection centre that handles only public institutions-generated e-waste at Gikondo.

"We need more facilities to ensure proper disposal of e-waste. This will also promote government’s objective of a sustainable green economy,” he said.

Duhuze said the government is already seeking a consultant to develop a five-year national e-waste strategy and technical guidelines and regulations.

"The project will offer an ‘end-of life’ solution for e-waste, allowing for sustainable use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Rwanda. It will also help guard against negative impact of e-waste on health or the environment and strengthen the economy by creating of green jobs.”

Steven Niyonzima, the national co-ordinator at the Rwanda Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Centre, said environmentally-friendly e-waste collection centres and ‘dismantling’ facilities will be setup in each province by the time the project winds up in 2017.

"We are planning to set up e-waste collection centres, starting with Rusizi, Huye, Bugesera and Rwamagana districts,” he pointed out.

He added that an e-waste dismantling facility will be established at the Kigali Special Economic Zone in Gasabo District by 2017. All these will create green jobs along the e-waste management value chain.

"Several workers will be needed to collect e-waste and deliver it to collection centres, while others will be involved in sorting and processing the waste at recycling companies and centres,” Niyonzima said.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, laptops make up 85 per cent of the total electronic and electrical equipment in public institutions. Of the 15 per cent of the remaining electronic and electrical equipment, 14 per cent are not working.

This, the ministry said, calls for urgent interventions, including building the capacity of stakeholders to ensure proper e-waste management, and adoption of appropriate treatment technologies.

Presently, the most common practices adopted for disposal of e-waste are acid baths, landfills and open air burning, which expose humans and the environment to toxic fumes and substance.

business@newtimes.co.rw