Environmental and health hazards associated with poor electronic-waste management: Knowledge gaps among electronic consumers in Zambia

Purpose: This paper explores electronic (e) waste, its associated environmental and health hazards, and the perspectives of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) consumers in Zambia. It uses the theory of planned behaviour and Capability approach to establish the interlinkedness between EEE consumers’ knowledge of e-waste hazards and their e-waste management practices. This stems from a growing concern on poor e-waste management for developing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. E-waste is ranked the most rapidly expanding solid waste stream globally, growing three times faster than the world's population. The 2024 Global E-waste Monitor report estimates that around 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are produced worldwide, annually. E-waste has been on the rise due to modern society's increased use and dependence on electrical and electronic equipment. This happens when an electrical and electronic device reaches its end of life cycle, quickly becoming obsolete. If improperly managed, recycled or disposed, e-waste presents irreversible environmental and health consequences. In Zambia, the desire for cutting-edge technology, mostly imported from the West, but met with inadequate e-waste handling facilities is skyrocketing. This paper argues that a persistence in e-waste knowledge gaps and inadequate e-waste management mechanisms, result in poor e-waste management, thereby compromising environmental and human wellbeing. 

Methods: This mixed methods study included 299 participants: 226 EEE consumers and 3 environmental entities and waste aggregators. This article analyzes and presents empirical findings from EEE consumers on e-waste sources/origins, associated hazards, consumers’ understanding, and e-waste management practices.  Data was collected using questionnaires and interviews. To analyse the data, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used.

Results and conclusion: Findings show that e-waste in Zambia largely exists in form of information and communication technologies, large and small electronic equipment. Common hazardous substances include lead (Pb), Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd) and Mercury (Mg). These are deposited into the environment, facilitated by poor waste segregation traits, inability of EEE consumers to trace e-waste sources, and inadequacies in e-waste management education and facilities.  Findings show that knowledge of hazards linked to e-waste is generally low among EEE consumers in Zambia. Data further reveals a correlation between the comprehension of e-waste and perspectives on the acquisition, utilization and disposal of EEEs. E-waste disposed of at landfills and present in-home environments contributes to environmental degradation, including pollution and climate change, as well as posing risks to human health, such as respiratory illnesses. The paper concludes that in the absence of environmentally informed EEE consumers and effective e-waste management mechanisms, the e-waste burden will only worsen for developing economies like Zambia. There is urgent need for the enhancement of e-waste education; strengthening of e-waste regulatory frameworks; establishment of inventories; strengthening avenues for e-waste buyback schemes and re-evaluation of existing e-waste management facilities in Zambia.