An assessment of level of people’s awareness of government policies on the management of e-waste in Enugu urban area, Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

E-waste is regarded as any electrical equipment or object which the holder disposes of or is required to dispose of in accordance with the provisions of the national environmental law enforcement. The objective of this paper are to investigate the categories of frequently used and repaired household electronics Enugu Urban area and to determine the disposal practices, policies and regulations that regulate the disposal and management of E-waste in Enugu Urban area. The study area is located within latitude 06o 00’N and 07o 00’N and longitude 07o 00’E and 07o 45’E. The Cochran sample size formula for the 722,664 population was used to determine sample size for the study. This study observed that 31.3% of household electronic products are stored at homes and offices, 38.3% are sold to scavengers who recycle in a crude way, 11.8% said the sale to waste recycling companies which in-turn are scavengers because there are currently no formal e-waste recycling company in Enugu Urban, 29.5% are disposed at ESWAMA dump sites around Enugu Urban who collects and dump at Ugwuaji dumpsite which is currently a residential area, while 19.3% are being disposed anywhere through landfill. Based on the findings and observations of this study, the Study recommends that the State Government through the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with other Ministries should create awareness programs and develop an all-encompassing strategic plan, sustainable models, and policy for E-waste checking, controlling and Management in Enugu Urban