E-waste management and practices at zimbabwe’s higher education institutions

Abstract

Developing countries have embraced ICTs to participate in the knowledge economy, achieving double-digit annual growth in usage. Obsolete ICTs become e-waste, and developing countries do not have specific policies. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) significantly contribute to the e-waste burden. E-waste contains hazardous substances which threaten the environment and human health while containing rare earth minerals worth billions. Seventeen HEIs participated in the study. Results show that all institutions kept obsolete ICTs for up-to 36-months, half disposed of as garbage, and a tenth took for recycling. The study recommends the adoption of sustainable practices such as, reduce, recycle and reuse.