Management of electronic waste in Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

E-waste is becoming an ever-growing challenge, not only in industrialized but also in developing countries, such as Uganda. The aim of this study was to provide a situational analysis with respect to the generation and management of e-waste in Kampala District of Uganda. The specific objective were i) to establish the quantities and weight of electronic equipment imported into Uganda, Kampala in particular; and ii) to find out the methods currently used to manage e- waste in Kampala. Data collection involved social surveys and secondary data of import records of fridges, computers and televisions from the Customs Department of the Uganda Revenue Authority. Data analysis using SPSS revealed that computers had the highest quantity (109682 computers) generated as e-wastes, while televisions recorded the least quantity (4532 televisions). The results also showed that most respondents in Kampala used storage (31%) as their main e-waste management method, followed by land filling (28%). Recycling had the least respondents (8%), and those who re-used constituted 14%. The conclusions are that the quantities of imported computers and fridges showed a decline over the years 2008 – 2010, while televisions showed an increasing trend over the same period. Most people stored e-wastes as their main methods of managing these wastes possibly due to uncertainty about how to manage them or lack of disposal opportunities. There is therefore a need for public education and awareness creation to change attitudes towards a more responsible management of e-wastes. In addition, there is a need for the Government to formulate a specific guiding policy and legislation for the management of e-wastes.