25 March 2023 , Kigali, Rwanda. The Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of ICT and Innovation, has joined hands with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), Rwanda Cooling Initiative and EnviroServe Rwanda have put together a national awareness campaign themed: “Proper E-waste Disposal for a Healthier Future”. The 6 month campaign is part of series of campaigns under the project with the Ministry of Environment of the Government of Rwanda initiated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development of the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to strengthen cooperation and technology transfer between the two countries titled project Waste to Resources: Improving Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and Hazardous Waste Management in Rwanda.
The campaign was developed to encourage the public to dispose of their old electronics, electrical (inefficient cooling appliances), hence increasing the country’s e-waste collection rates for proper handling. As part of the e-waste campaign, project partners organized a community outreach activity during the monthly Umuganda (Umuganda is a national holiday in Rwanda taking place on the last Saturday of every month for mandatory nationwide community work from 08:00 to 11:00.) held across the country. A home grown solution Umuganda is one of the traditional tools of mutual help rooted in Rwandan culture used to address societal challenges. Umuganda contributions are of two dimensions. Firstly, it contributes to the socio-economic development of the community through infrastructure development, environmental protection and cleanness as well as the implementation of government programs. Secondly, through meetings held in its framework, Umuganda contributes to information sharing and fostering social cohesion and peace building in the country.
With more than 300 citizens that joined Umuganda they each brought their old, unfunctional, electronic and electrical equipment for proper treatment and disposal a large amount of e-waste was collected. A total of 642kgs of e-waste was collected during Umuganda. The national launch of the e-waste awareness campaign took place at Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC) Kigali premises. During the event, local communities, public institutions as well as private organizations were reminded of sustainable waste management practices and how they can contribute to reducing the negative impact of e-waste on the environment and public health. The monthly community Umuganda is conducted across the country and several message of proper e-waste management were communicated across different platforms and channels prior to the national community Umuganda.
With the increase in use of technology devices, e-waste is a cumbersome challenge to Rwanda’s journey to become a climate resilient nation by 2050 due to pollution and health hazards. This event was a great opportunity to boost citizens’ awareness on the negative effects of e-waste, thus enabling Rwanda to emerge as a champion of e-waste management and achieve sustainable development,” said Yves Iradukunda, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation.
The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) works with the Government of Rwanda, civil society and the private sector to foster a green and circular economy and advance sustainable development. Rwanda has made significant efforts to promote green and circular economy initiatives to ensure a thriving environment and communities. Organizing this event marks a remarkable step toward engaging communities to play their role in protecting the environment and our citizens health. By joining our efforts we have set a great example for future generations,” said Caroline Raes, GGGI’s Country Representative in Rwanda.
For many years, EnviroServe has been leading e-waste collection and recycling efforts in Rwanda. From the establishment of a state-of-the-art e-waste dismantling and recycling facility to setting up collection points across the country, the company has put in place necessary means for the public to address this growing e-waste challenge. “We are excited for such initiative to increase awareness about e-waste management during a first-of-its-kind Umuganda. We believe that proper e-waste management is critical to achieving a greener and healthier future. We encourage the public to support this meaningful cause by not only participating in this initiative but also bringing old, unfunctional, electronic and electrical equipment during Umuganda and utilizing available collection points across the country,” said Olivier Mbera, EnviroServe Rwanda’s Country General Manager.
“The Rwanda Cooling Initiative’s Green On-Wage Financing mechanism is available to help the owners of outdated refrigerators or air conditioners to take advantage of the mechanism to acquire new eco-friendly cooling appliances at a 15% discount on the cost. This is beneficial because it allows the customers to buy energy-efficient and climate-friendly cooling appliances which save their energy bills and contribute to the protection of the environment,” said Morris Kayitare, General Manager, Cold-Chain (ACES). The e-waste expected for collection and disposal during this Umuganda include old and non-working mobile phones, tablets, laptops, monitors, old and inefficient cooling appliances, printers, televisions, cables, and batteries, among others. The e-waste that will be collected will be taken to the appropriate dismantling and recycling facility afterwards.
Other outreach activities that will be conducted as part of the larger awareness campaign include social media campaign lead by Rwanda’s three influencers ; roadshows across the country, media talk shows, and awareness training sessions in the City of Kigali as well as secondary cities; capacity building for technical officers in city of Kigali and the secondary cities; Airing a tv and radio clip to show the harmful effects of e-waste at home and work ; live tv and radio show discussion on proper disposal of electronic waste in Rwanda ; a second Umuganda in October and e-waste collection day in November.
