Govt to tackle the e-waste problem in Mauritius

New technology and latest trends and changes in consumption habits have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of electronic waste across the world. The number of electronic products discarded in Mauritius has also skyrocketed over the past few years.

Several projects are being undertaken by public bodies to ensure sound management of e-waste that includes all types of waste containing electrically powered components such as computers, consumer electronics and mobile phones.

According to a senior officer of the Ministry of Local Government, the government is currently working on strategies to tackle the e-waste problem.

“We are adopting a two-phase approach to deal with this issue. Phase one consists of an immediate solution to clear the existing backlog of e-waste from public bodies,” he said, adding, “Medium and long term management of e-waste will be undertaken in the second phase whereby experience acquired in phase one will serve as a stepping stone to establish a framework for the management of e-waste.”

These strategies include bidding documents for collection, transportation, dismantling and export of e-waste for recycling, reviewing existing legislation and recommending appropriate regulatory frameworks.