Environment

Nairobi to open e-waste recycling plant

04 Sep, 2013

An e-waste recycling plant due to open in Nairobi by the end of the year will separate and dismantle electronic waste (known as e-waste) including domestic appliances, ICT electronics and cellular phones.

The project is the result of collaboration between e-waste management experts East African Compliant Recycling (EACR), German investment corporation DEG (Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft), and American information technology giant Hewlett-Packard (HP).

There are currently no proper regulations in place in Kenya to manage the disposal of e-waste, leading to its widespread dumping in Kenyan rubbish tips, impeding any recycling efforts.

Data from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reveals that in 2010 Kenya generated 11,400 tons of e-waste from refrigerators, 2,800 tons from televisions, 2,500 tons from personal computers, 500 tons from printers and 150 tons from cellular phones.