Electronic Waste Management in Zimbabwe: A Slow Onset Public Health Disaster

Abstract

The unprecedented growth in electronic industry has witnessed generation of tones of electronic goods in the world. The rate of technological change created an appetite for a replacement behavior among consumers leading to stockpiles of electronic waste. However, because of the cost associated with safe management of the electronic waste, little attention is put on it, hence a hazard to the community. The unprecedented rising global demand for electronic products has swiftly transformed to a major risk and hazard to the communities. The piecemeal application of e-waste management law increases the risk to the communities as matters of electronic waste risk to the environment are treated as soporific. In Zimbabwe, there is fragile interest in electronic waste management as evidenced by lack of electronic waste law. Both ignorance and lack of interest has affected electronic waste management in Zimbabwe putting communities at risk. Despite its invisible risk to human health, discourse in electronic waste risk features very little in health, environmental management, as well as disaster management strategic plans minimizing the dangers of e-waste to the public. This paper examines electronic waste management in Zimbabwe and provides practical recommendations for reducing the invisible electronic waste hazard in Zimbabwe.

Keywords: Electronic waste, health risk, environmental risk, regulation, monitoring, e-waste management