More and more organisations in SA are becoming aware that there is legislation making it illegal to dump electronic waste (e-waste).
This was one of the key findings of the ITWeb-Africa eWaste E-Waste Survey, which ran online for a fortnight, attracting 163 responses.
In a similar survey last year, 51.12% of respondents said they are aware of legislation criminalising the abandonment of e-waste, while 48.88% were unaware. This time, the percentage of those aware of the laws has risen to 55.86% and the percentage of those unaware has dropped to 44.14%.
Ulze van Wyk, MD of Africa eWaste, says this is a positive development. “More people are becoming aware. However, I was under the impression that it would have been higher. Therefore, I must admit, I am a bit disappointed in this figure,” she says.
“Most people are driven by law, and if they know it’s legal or, in this case, illegal to dump, they will make a plan to do the right thing. This shows we have to do more to educate the public on this point,” Van Wyk adds.
Safe disposal
On another positive note, the survey discovered that the majority of respondents (59.31%) prioritise the safe disposal of e-waste in their organisations. However, 35.86% noted that they do not prioritise safe disposal, though they are willing to do so. Only 4.83% do not prioritise safe disposal without willingness to do so.
Source: itweb
By Admire Moyo