An exploration of factors leading to improper electrical waste disposal in Matero, Lusaka Province
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Date
2022
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Abstract
E-waste refers to electrical/Electronic gadgets that are discarded or no longer of use by the purchaser (Sansa-Otim et al. 2012). The rapid climb in electronic and IT trade has increased the volumes of e-waste in Zambia. In most urban areas, “due to uncertainty of the ways to treat e-waste, when electronic products reach their end life, electronic junks lie unattended in shops, offices, homes, etc and is commonly mixed with family waste, that is finally disposed of at waste disposal points which may be hazardous as the e-waste is not sorted and separated.” In this context, the research aims to explore the factors that lead to improper disposal of e-waste in Matero. The study utilized a qualitative approach and made use of a cross-sectional study design, data was collected through interview guides and was analyzed through themes and coding. The sample size was 31 and the sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The data collected was analyzed thematically (Thematic analysis). It was found that (6%) had attended primary education, (65%) had attended secondary education and (29%) attained tertiary education. Despite majority attaining some level of education, majority of the participants had little or no knowledge on e-waste management. Knowledge on e-waste was highly dependent on the level of education. The study also revealed that most participants were not aware about e-waste, whereas only a few had an idea on what e-waste was and social factors such as knowledge and education played a pivotal role in management of e-waste as most participants did not know what e-waste was, as e-waste was treated like any other waste. Furthermore, most participants stated that economic factors such as income and infrastructure influenced the management of e-waste, as it was
highlighted that the indiscriminate disposal of e-waste is because of the lack of adequate infrastructure and that income is the reason why there is more e-waste in the area and people don't mind the management of e-waste because they know less about its effects as they are only trying to earn a living by dealing with it. Lastly it was noted that personal factors such as attitudes tend to influence the behaviour and practice of waste management in Matero. The study concluded that social, economic, and personal factors do indeed play a pivotal role in influencing the proper management of e-waste in Matero.
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Research Report Public Health