A comprehensive research on the management of electronic waste in sub Sahara Africa: Opportunities and constraints

The astronomical global production and demand for electronic equipment have led to extensive generation of electronic waste (e-waste). The most attractive option for the management of e-waste by industrialized nations is "reuse" which essentially involved sending obsolete equipment to developing nations, including sub-Sahara African countries in the name of charity to help the poor. These outdated equipment soon thereafter become e-wastes. The effective management of e-waste in sub-Sahara Africa underscores the need to provide empirical information about e-waste in the sub region.;Using Lagos, Nigeria as a case study the overall purpose of this research was to provide comprehensive and empirical information about the management of e-waste in sub-Sahara Africa. The populations of interest included sellers of used electronic equipment and scavengers at e-waste landfill. The study investigated the perception of sellers of electronic equipment and scavengers of e-waste regarding the human and environmental health effects of e-waste components. Other aspects of the study embraced the extent of the scavengers' exposure to the adverse effects of e-waste and the use of protective clothing by the e-waste scavengers. In addition to providing basic information about e-waste scavengers and sellers of used electronic equipment, the study documented the management strategies used for e-waste in the study area. The study results indicated that the sampled respondents from the study sites were not aware of the adverse health and environmental effect of e-waste. Despite the relatively high level of exposure of the scavengers to e-waste, the scavengers rarely wore protective clothing. The study showed that e-waste was disposed of in non-environmentally viable manner. Other findings of the study included the relatively high level of education of the sellers of used electronic equipment compared with the level of education of the e-waste scavengers. The selling of used electronic equipment and e-waste scavenging business make major contributions to the economy of the area.