Turning Africa’s E-Waste Challenge into a Circular Economy Opportunity

 

Source: Geneva Environment Network

In a small workshop on the outskirts of Kampala (in Katwe), 28-year-old Timothy dismantles an old computer with steady hands. What once seemed like junk to many is now his source of livelihood. The wires, chips, and plastic casings spread across his table represent a growing reality for Africa — the continent’s digital rise has brought not only opportunity but also a surge in electronic waste (e-waste).

Each year, the International E-Waste Day is held on 14 October as an opportunity to reflect on the impacts of e-waste and the necessary actions to enhance circularity for e-products. The 2025 Theme is ‘Recycle Your E-waste – It’s Critical!’ Geopolitics are highlighting how important these materials are. And while many people have heard about Critical Materials (CRMs) by now, not all of them know that these elements can be recovered from unused or broken electronic products sleeping in our garages, drawers and attics (Geneva Environment Network, 2025). This is why the 2025 edition of the International E-Waste Day will focus on raising awareness about this fact.

For example, across Africa, mobile phones, solar systems, and computers are transforming lives — connecting farmers to markets, lighting up rural homes, and enabling remote education. But behind this progress lies a mounting environmental cost. In 2019 alone, Africa generated over 2.9 million tonnes of e-waste, and less than 1% of it was formally recycled (Forti et al., 2020). Much of the rest ends up in informal dumps or is burned, releasing toxic fumes that threaten human health and ecosystems.

The Policy Backbone: Responsibility Starts at the Top

For years, many countries have operated without strong e-waste laws. Yet change is taking root. Nigeria and Rwanda are leading the charge with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies that hold manufacturers accountable for what happens to their products after use (Manomaivibool, 2020). If expanded across the continent, EPR could shift the burden of waste management from taxpayers to producers — and finance proper collection and recycling systems.

People Power: Inclusion and Awareness

Most e-waste in Africa is processed by informal workers — people like Timothy — who recover valuable materials but often without safety gear or knowledge of the risks. Excluding them would be a mistake. Integrating these recyclers into the formal economy through training, protective equipment, and incentives could turn a hazardous activity into a green industry. Public awareness campaigns and school programs could also change mindsets about what “waste” really means — showing that discarded electronics can hold economic and environmental value (Nnorom & Osibanjo, 2008).

Building the Future: Infrastructure that Works

Africa’s recycling capacity remains thin, but examples like Rwanda’s Enviroserve facility prove what’s possible. Opened in 2017 with support from the Rwanda Green Fund and UNDP, the plant can process over 10,000 tonnes of e-waste a year, safely extracting metals and plastics while employing and training local technicians (UNDP, 2017). It’s not just recycling — it’s job creation and environmental restoration in one package.

Beyond Africa, lessons can be drawn from India’s Attero Recycling, which scaled from a startup in 2008 into one of the world’s largest e-waste firms. By formalising the role of informal waste pickers and using clean technology to recover gold, copper, and silver, Attero turned what was once dangerous work into a structured value chain (Dwivedy & Mittal, 2012). Africa can emulate such models — adapting them to local realities and building regional recycling hubs.

A Circular Vision: Waste as Wealth

Every old phone and broken laptop contains valuable metals — gold, copper, and rare earths — waiting to be recovered. Embracing a circular economy means reusing, repairing, and recycling instead of discarding. Imagine if sites like Agbogbloshie in Ghana, once notorious for unsafe recycling, were transformed into centres of innovation, where young entrepreneurs use clean technology to recover materials safely. That’s the kind of transformation Africa needs — one that merges environmental health with economic opportunity (Baldé et al., 2017).

Innovation for Impact

Digital tools can make this vision real. Mobile apps could help consumers locate drop-off points, while blockchain can track e-waste across supply chains to ensure transparency (Kiddee et al., 2013). Better product design — modular and repairable electronics — would also reduce waste before it even begins.

Closing Reflection

Africa’s growing digital economy doesn’t have to come at an environmental cost. With the right policies, partnerships, and people-first approaches, the continent can turn its e-waste challenge into a story of innovation, inclusion, and green growth. The question is no longer whether Africa can manage its e-waste, but rather how soon it can turn waste into wealth for all.

References

• Baldé, C. P., et al. (2017). The Global E-waste Monitor. United Nations University.
• Dwivedy, M., & Mittal, R. K. (2012). An investigation into e-waste flows in India. Journal of Cleaner Production, 37, 229–242.
• Forti, V., et al. (2020). The Global E-waste Monitor 2020. United Nations University, ITU & ISWA.
• Geneva Environment Network (2025). International E-waste Day 2025 https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/international-e-waste-day-2025/#scroll-nav__1
• Kiddee, P., Naidu, R., & Wong, M. H. (2013). Electronic waste management approaches: An overview. Waste Management, 33(5), 1237-1250.
• Manomaivibool, P. (2020). Extended producer responsibility in developing countries. Waste Management & Research, 38(3), 223–225.
• Nnorom, I. C., & Osibanjo, O. (2008). Electronic waste (e-waste): Material flows and management practices in Nigeria. Waste Management, 28(8), 1472-1479.
• Oteng-Ababio, M. (2012). E-waste management in Ghana – Issues and practices. Sustainable Development, 20(1), 1–10.
• Schluep, M., et al. (2012). Sustainable e-waste management. StEP Green Paper Series.
• UNDP. (2017). Rwanda Launches First Large-Scale E-Waste Recycling Facility. United Nations Development Programme.