Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Management of Higher Education Institutions in South Central Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract

E-waste management is undoubtedly one of the important environmental concerns at present because the dependence on electronic devices has increased. There have been policies, legal provisions, and advocacy undertakings educating and introducing ways to manage and properly dispose of e-waste in the region yet there is no clear understanding of these practices, particularly in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The present study evaluates the e-waste management implementation of HEIs in South Central Mindanao, Philippines using survey questionnaires and in-depth interviews with 13 HEI representatives. The surveys showed that 39% of the HEIs have an annual budget of less than PhP100,000.00 (USD 1,950). Moreover, 23% of HEIs annually purchase 10-60 units of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) equipment. E-waste management among HEIs shows that 53.8% of ICT and electronic devices end up in landfills and 23.1% in informal sectors like junk shops. It can be noted that the yearly generation of e-waste among HEIs highly impacts the rise in the usage of IT equipment and electronic devices. Lack of awareness, e-waste disposal facilities, priorities, audit resolution and procedure and no definite legislation or laws among HEIs are the main challenges for e-waste management in the region. This study prompts mainstream e-waste management in HEIs and enlightens the public about appropriate strategies to address this issue. Furthermore, the findings of this study can be useful in formulating national and regional e-waste management plans and programs.