Meru University Launches E-Waste Project
Meru University of Science and Technology (MUST) in Kenya has launched an e-waste management project to tackle the country’s electronic waste.
The project, which has been funded by the German Development Corporation and the European Union, will involve training technicians in e-waste processing and establishing a model that uses and recovers resources rather than disposing of them at the end of their life.
MUST has already trained 175 technicians who will act as agents for the university’s collection centre as it looks to scale up the project. The programme aims to increase public awareness, engage stakeholders in recycling and create jobs.
Speaking at the launch, MUST Vice Chancellor Prof Romanus Odhiambo said the initiative aimed to establish a circular economy, which produces no waste, and asked partners to join forces with the university to upscale the project to urban mining.
According to a 2020 report by the Global E-Waste Monitor, 53.6 million metric tonnes of e-waste were produced annually, with predictions that this could double to 120 million tonnes by 2050. The report also showed that only 17.4% of e-waste was properly managed.
E-waste is also expected to increase from 5% to 8% due to the rise of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment globally.
Precious metals in e-waste, including gold, silver, copper, platinum, and palladium, along with valuable bulky materials, such as iron and aluminium, and plastics can all be recycled.
MUST has also established a sanitation research institute that focuses on circular research of organic waste. By taking food and human waste, the institute is looking at how to create wealth from it.
MUST plans to upscale the technician courses to bachelor, master and PhD levels, with the aim of conducting research on e-waste fractions that are difficult to recycle and finding innovative recycling methods to reduce costs.
Meru University Launches E-Waste Project