An assessment of electronic waste management practices in Collins Chabane local municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Electronic waste (e-waste) is a millennium challenge due to the rapid growth of the usage of electronic devices and appliances, the gradual improvement of living standards, and the life of technology we are living in. Recently, COVID-19 has added to the pressure on the usage of information and communications technology (ICT), leading to a super-growth of e-waste. The world has entered the 4th industrial revolution, and voluminous amounts of e-waste have been generated. Less developed regions are already facing greater challenges due to their failure to address the challenges presented by e-waste appropriately. Numerous studies on e-waste management in South Africa have been conducted, but most scholars have focused on the larger metropolitan areas of the nation, overlooking the local municipalities. Thus, this study was conducted with the aim of assessing e-waste management practices, including collection, transportation, and disposal, at Collins Chabane Local Municipality. Primary data was collected through checklist observations, closed-ended questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Secondary data was collected from different sources such as the internet, government publications (the Gazette), journals, and audit reports from Collins Chabane Local Municipality. Data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27, Microsoft Excel, and the logit statistical model. The logit regression model was employed to determine the factors influencing the community’s awareness of electronic waste in Collins Chabane Local Municipality. This study found that Collins Chabane Local Municipality does not have any policy in place to manage or regulate e-waste management. Furthermore, e-waste is treated the same as other streams of waste. Communities were found to lack or have less knowledge of e-waste. It was found to have no single company dealing with e-waste recycling and related matters within the study area, leading to incorrect handling of e-waste by most community members, who ended up keeping obsolete e-waste in their storerooms. This study established further that lack of regulation of the e-waste stream has led to failure to know the specific amount of e-waste generated at Collins Chabane Local Municipality in terms of tons; however, the study managed to establish the types of e-waste generated the most. Moreover, the role of waste pickers in the reduction of e-waste that is supposed to reach landfill sites is not recognised by relevant bodies dealing with waste.

Thyaka ra xielekitironiki i ntlhontlho wa malembexidzana hikwalaho ka ku kula ko hatlisa ka ku tirhisiwa ka switirhisiwa swa xielekitironiki, antswiso wo nonoka wa mipimo ya ku hanya, na vutomi bya thekinoloji lebyi hi hanyaka eka byona. Sweswinyana, COVID-19 yi engeterile ntshikelelo ehenhla ka ku tirhisiwa ka thekinoloji ya vuxokoxoko na vuhlanganisi (ICT), leswi vangaka ku kula ko tlula mpimo ka thyaka ra xielekitironiki. Misava yi nghenile eka ncinco wa indasitiri ya vu4, naswona mipimo leyikulu ya thyaka ra xielekitironiki yi endliwile. Swifundza leswi hluvukisiweke switsongo se swi langutana na mitlhontlho leyikulu hikwalaho ka nhluleko wa swona wa ku tirhana hi ndlela leyi faneleke na mitlhontlho leyi tisiwaka hi thyaka ra e. Milavisiso yo hlayanyana hi mayelana na malawulelo ya thyaka ra e eAfrika-Dzonga yi endliwile, kambe valavisisi vo tala va kongomisile eka tindhawu madorobakulu ya tiko, va tsan'wa timasipala ta miganga. Hikwalaho, ndzavisiso lowu wu endliwile hi xikongomelo xa ku kambela maendlelo ya malawulelo ya thyaka ra e ku katsa na nhlengeleto, vutleketli na heriso, eka Masipala wa Miganga wa Collins Chabane. Switiviwakulu swi hlengeletiwile hi ku tirhisa mixiyaxiyo ya nxaxamelo wo kambela, tikhwexinere ta makumu yo pfaleka, tiinthavhiyu leti nga na xivumbeko xa hafu. Switiviwatsongo swi hlengeletiwile kusuka eka swihlovo swo tanihi inthanete, mikandziyiso ya mfumo (Gazete), tijenali, na swiviko swa oditi kusuka eka Masipala wa Miganga wa Collins Chabane. Switiviwa swi xopaxopiwile hi ku tirhisa vhexini ya 27, Phakeji ya Tinhlayonhlayo ya Sayense ya Vanhu, Microsoft Excel, na modlolo wa tinhlayonhlayo wa logit. Modlolo wo tlhelela endzhaku wa logit wu tirhisiwile ku kumisisa swiphemu leswi hlohlotelaka vulemuki bya vaakandhawu bya thyaka ra xielekitironiki eka Masipala wa Miganga wa Collins Chabane. Ndzavisiso lowu wu kume leswaku Masipala wa Miganga wa Collins Chabane wu hava pholisi yihi kumbe yihi leyi tirhisiwaka ku lawula malawulelo ya thyaka ra e. Ku yisa emahlweni, thyaka ra e ri khomiwa kufana tanihi mixaka yin'wana ya thyaka. Vaakandhawu va kumekile va ri karhi va pfumala vutivi kumbe va ri na vutivi byitsongo bya thyaka ra xielekitironiki. Ku kumekile leswaku ku hava na khamphani na yin'we leyi tirhanaka na mbuyeleriso wa thyaka ra xielekitironiki na timhaka leti fambelanaka endhawini ya ndzavisiso, leswi vangeke makhomelo mo ka ma nga lulamangi ma

Ditlakala tša ilektroniki (i-weiste) ke tlhohlo ya ngwagakete ka lebaka la kgolo ye e kitimago ka lebelo ya tšhomišo ya ditibaese le diapholayentshe tša ilektroniki, kaonafatšo ya maemo a bophelo ganyane-ganyane, le bophelo bja theknolotši yeo re phelago go yona. Malobanyana, COVID-19 e okeditše kgatelelo godimo ga tšhomišo ya theknolotši ya tshedimošo le dikgokagano (ICT), yeo e dirago gore go be le koketšego ye kgolo ya ditlakala tša ilekroniki. Lefase le tsene go phetogo ya bo-4 ya diintaseteri, gomme go tšweleditšwe palo e kgolo ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki. Mafelo ao a sa hlwago a hlabologa ka botlalo a šetše a lebane le ditlhohlo tše kgolo ka lebaka la go palelwa ga tšona go rarolla ditlhohlo tšeo di tšweletšwago ka tshwanelo ke ditlakala tša ilektroniki. Dinyakišišo tše ntši ka ga taolo ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki di dirilwe ka Afrika Borwa, eupša bontši bja banyakišiši ba lebišitše šedi go mebasepala ye megologolo, ba tlogela go šetša mebasepala ya selegae. Ka go realo, nyakišišo ye e dirilwe ka nepo ya go sekaseka mekgwa ya taolo ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki, go akaretšwa kgoboketšo, dinamelwa tša go rwala ditlakala, le go lahla ditlakala, ka Mmasepaleng wa Selegae wa Collins Chabane. Datha ya mathomo e kgobokeditšwe ka go lebelela ditšhekeliste, mananeopotšišo a dipotšišo tše di tswaletšwego (closed-ended), le dipoledišano tše di rulagantšwego seripa (semi-structured). Datha ya sekontari e kgobokeditšwe go tšwa methopong ye e fapanego go swana le inthanete, dikgatišo tša mmušo (Kuranta ya mmušo), dijenale, le dipego tša tekolo ya dipuku go tšwa go Mmasepala wa Selegae wa Collins Chabane. Datha e sekasekilwe ka go šomiša tlhagišo ya 27 ya Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 27, Microsoft Excel, le mmotlolo wa dipalopalo wa logit. Mmotlolo wa logit regression o šomišitšwe go laetša mabaka ao a huetšago temošo ya setšhaba ka ga ditlakala tša ilektroniki ka Mmasepaleng wa Selegae wa Collins Chabane. Nyakišišo ye e hweditše gore Mmasepala wa Selegae wa Collins Chabane ga o na pholisi ya go laola goba go sepetša semolao taolo ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki. Go feta fao, ditlakala tša ilektroniki di swarwa go swana le ditshepedišo tše dingwe tša ditlakala. Ditšhaba di hweditšwe gore di hloka goba di na le tsebo ye nnyane ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki. Go hweditšwe gore ga go na khamphani e tee yeo e šomago ka go risaekela ditlakala tša ilektroniki le tše dingwe tša go amana natšo ka lekaleng la nyakišišo, e lego se se lebišago go tshwaro ye e fošagetšego ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki ka bontši bja maloko a setšhaba, ao a feleletšago a boloka ditlakala tša ilekroniki tšeo di fetilwego ke nako ka mabolokelong a bona. Nyakišišo ye e laeditše gape gore go hloka taolo ya tshepedišo ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki go lebišitše mo go palelweng ke go tseba palo ye itšego ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki tšeo di tšweleditšwego ka Mmasepaleng wa Selegae wa Collins Chabane go ya ka ditone; le ge go le bjalo, nyakišišo e kgonne go laetša mehuta ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki tšeo di tšweleditšwego kudu. Go feta fao, karolo ye e bapalwago ke batopi ba ditlakala mo phokotšong ya ditlakala tša ilektroniki tšeo di swanetšego go fihla bolahlelwaditlakala ga e amogelwe ke mekgatlo ya maleba yeo e šomago ka ditlakala.