Efforts in e-waste recycling must go beyond computer refurbishment to include the recycling of electronic equipment, according to Uganda Green Computers Company Chairman Patrick Bitature.

The establishment of a PC refurbishment center in Uganda has led to an increase in electrical and electronic equipment waste, or e-waste, and Bitature said future recycling options should include streams for plastic, ferrous metals, gold, aluminum and cooper, materials wasted in refurbishment.

A May 2008 report on e-waste management in Uganda noted the social and environmental drawbacks of importing second-hand PCs, warning of the possible development of an informal refurbishment and dumping sector. According to the report, safe disposal of e-waste is expensive, and the sustainable recycling of computer waste in Uganda cannot be paid off by the intrinsic value of the computer unit’s material content.

While an initiative by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Microsoft addresses the proper disposal and recycling of computers, there are no recycling options outlined for printed wiring boards, cathode ray tubes and hazardous fractions, such as batteries.

An estimated 53,000 computer units reached the ends of their lives in 2007, and it is expected that only around 10 percent of those reached the waste stream, while the rest are kept in storage without being used. The machines that do enter the waste stream are often collected by individuals who sell parts informally and dump what they cannot sell.

There is a rapidly increasing computer market in Uganda as a result of the government’s policy to improve ICT and fight computer illiteracy in the country. However, there is no specific e-waste policy or legislation in Uganda.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.