Environmental effects of waste electrical and electronic equipment valorization in burkina faso

Abstract

The valorization of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has become a challenge for countries around the world, especially for developing countries like Burkina Faso. The main objective of this article is to analyze the environmental effects of WEEE valorization in Burkina Faso. To do this, the regime-switching model, developed by Lee (1978), based on the Heckman correction model, was used. The data used was collected from 414 actors in the WEEE sector in the three major cities of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, Koudougou, and Bobo Dioulasso. The analysis of the results shows that the methods of WEEE valorization in Burkina Faso pollute the air, soil and water. This pollution results in damages amounting to 242,752,192.6 CFA francs per year, which the sector's actors should include in their investment costs in the form of internalization costs. These costs amount to an average of 560,628.62 CFA francs per year and per actor. The WEEE sector could be improved with the implementation of certain economic policies. These policies include raising awareness among the population on WEEE management, training of stakeholders in the sector on the effective valorization of WEEE and the implementation of strict environmental standards to reduce environmental pollution due to poor WEEE valorization in Burkina Faso.