E-waste
That electronic waste has become a hard nut to crack in the villages and an eyesore in the urban areas, is a reality. The e-waste poses the greatest danger to the environment and human life unless deliberate efforts are made to find a way of disposing them off.
It is for this reason that the Information Communications and Technology Authority (ICTA) is carrying out a sensitisation exercise on e-waste management. Joseph Juma, an ICT officer from the Authority’s headquarters, said e-waste is generated when gadgets such as televisions, phones, refrigerators, radios, exide batteries, computers among others become obsolete or nonfunctional.
Juma , who was addressing government officers and other stakeholders drawn from Vihiga County, said these devices contain harmful substances such as lead and mercury which should be carefully disposed of, while others have parts which could be recycled and re-used.
He stated that as at now the disposal is done in Nairobl but the waste is collected from households and institutions across the country. “The process involves collecting, transporting, sorting and disposing the leftovers by burning under very high temperatures while guarding against air pollution,” he explained.
He added that the e-waste consists of precious materials such as gold and other metals and hence the need for sorting for recovery before the destruction. National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) County Director Hesbon Monda, said they have come up with laws and policies for guiding the disposal of e-waste without harming the environment.
Monda added that people should adopt an attitude of protecting the environment from all forms of hazards for the good of humans and other forms of life. He stated that they will work closely with other stakeholders to ensure that all waste and e-waste in particular, do not destroy the natural environment or ecosystems.