Macra develops e-waste management strategy
Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) says it is developing a strategy that will help in the management of electronic waste (e-waste).
Malawi has no mechanism to dispose of e-waste or refineries that would be used for recycling purposes.
Research shows that one tonne of mobile handsets minus batteries equates to 3.5 kilogrammes of silver, 340 grammes of gold and 140 grammes of palladium.
Speaking at the opening of the National E-Waste Management Strategy Formulation Workshop in Lilongwe on Friday, Macra director general Godfrey Itaye said Malawi continues to consume electrical and electronic materials which calls for measures to handle electronic devices that have reached their end life and are obsolete.
“It is an undeniable fact that we literally have no mechanisms or such refineries for disposal of such waste. And this poses a great health hazard to humans considering that many users are unaware of the dangerous materials that electronic gadgets contain,” he said.
In her remarks, International Telecommunications Union (ITU) programme officer Anne Ssemboga said e-waste has become a global concern as most electronic devices are discarded prematurely without due consideration to the hazardous substances that they contain. n
