| dc.description.abstract | Today, it is widely believed that besides global warming, e-waste is the most threatening
environmental problem in the world. The quantities of electronic waste generated in
Kampala, Uganda from telephones, televisions, radios, computers, refrigerators and air
conditioners have been on the rise. Mounting global sales of electrical and electronic products
are generating an equally imposing amount of toxic waste that is too complicated to process,
especially in developing countries such as Uganda. In Uganda, just like in many developing
countries, workers in e-waste scrap yards are constantly exposed to toxic chemicals that are
by-products of deconstructing components. These chemicals also pollute water, soil and air.
In this study, the methodology involved the use of a market supply and survey in order to
determine the quantities of e-waste generated yearly from the volume of annual import data
obtained from URA. Primary data was collected using questionnaires and key informative
interviews with concerned people in government and non-government institutions involved in
the use of electrical and electronic equipment and e-waste quantification. Heavy metal
quantification and environmental impacts of e-waste were obtained through reviewing
relevant past documents on e-waste management in Uganda and internationally.
The percentage weight of each material portion in computers, televisions were obtained
through dismantling of material parts and weighing each sample to determine its contribution
to the overall weight of the e-product so as to enable us characterize the generated e-waste.
The estimated average annual e-waste quantities generated by telephones, computers,
televisions, radios, air conditioners and refrigerators were 5575.28, 6663.77, 7300.51,
2398.67, 2952.15 and 7188.39 metric tons respectively. From the findings from this study,
televisions contributed the biggest percentage of the annual generated tonnage of e-waste.
Considering the recent development in URA imports of new and second-hand equipment and
the already existing stock of computers, televisions, telephones, refrigerators, air
conditioners, their end-of-life use is expected to generate much more e-waste with time.
Hence it is the right time for Kampala, Uganda to engage in addressing the problem of
increasing e-waste volumes. Waiting too long with actions will present the risk of a
developing informal sector and more informal dumping, with all its social and environmental
drawbacks. | en_US |
