E-Waste Management in Rwanda: A Situational and Capacity Need Assessment

Abstract

This study analyzed e-waste management and capacity need assessment for both the city of Kigali and secondary cities in Rwanda. Questionnaires were used to obtain primary data. Data collected during this study have been analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v.2020). Using qualitative and quantitative data on e-waste management, this study showed that a large number of respondents used repair and reuse (38.1%) and the main environmental concerns were found to be waste management problems (reported by 77.3% of respondents), water pollution (36.2%), and air pollution (20%), whereas regarding health effects, chronic diseases were the major concern (21.6%). Results showed a significant association between education levels and awareness and dissemination, with respect to Rwanda’s e-waste legislation and general e-waste knowledge. This study showed a need for urgency to introduce an extended producer responsibility (EPR) approach. It recommends the introduction of a disposal fee for every sale of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).