Co-design, with two South African villages, of a prototype for an e-waste management mobile app
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23962/ajic.i33.17267Keywords:
electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), electronic waste (e-waste), environment, health, rural villages, under-resourced areas, mobile application (app), cloud computing, Eastern Cape Province, South AfricaAbstract
Electronic waste (e-waste) contains toxic elements that, if not carefully disposed of, can harm the environment and human health. It is imperative that e-waste is handled in a correct, safe manner. The study engaged with two rural South African villages, Mantunzeleni and Mpeta in the Eastern Cape Province, to determine their current e-waste disposal practices and to co-design a cloud-based mobile application (app) for improved e-waste management. Twenty-six participants, 13 from each village, participated in the study. A focus group discussion with participants explored the communities’ existing e-waste disposal behaviours, which were found to be harmful to the environment. Participants were then introduced to, and guided through, the co-design process, which resulted in development of a prototype cloud-based mobile app that would, if implemented, allow households to request the collection of e-waste items by the local municipality. The authors argue that, because of the co- design process, the app (if implemented by the municipality) will be well-suited to the needs of, and widely used by, the two target communities, who will feel a sense of ownership of the technological solution that they helped to create.
References
Abalansa, S., Mahrad, B. E., Icely, J., & Newton, A. (2021). Electronic waste, an environmental problem exported to developing countries: The good, the bad and the ugly. Sustainability,13, 5302, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095302
Abdulazeez, A. M., Zeebaree, S. R., & Sadeeq, M. A. M. (2018). Design and implementation of electronic student affairs system. Academic Journal of Nawroz University, 7(3), 66–73. https://doi.org/10.25007/ajnu.v7n3a201
Avis, W. (2021). Drivers, barriers and opportunities of e-waste management in Africa. K4D Helpdesk Report No. 1074. Institute of Development Studies. https://doi.org/10.19088/K4D.2022.016
Bamako Convention. (1991). Bamako Convention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa. https://www.informea.org/en/treaties/bamako-convention/text
Basel Convention. (1989). Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. https://www.basel.int/Portals/4/Basel%20Convention/docs/text/BaselConventionText-e.pdf
Bazilian, S. (2020, November 27). E-waste in developing countries. BORGEN Magazine. https://www.borgenmagazine.com/e-waste-developing-countries
Berg, H., Sebestyén, J., Bendix, P., Le Blevennec, K., & Vrancken, K. (2020). Digital waste management. Eionet Report – ETC/WMGE 2020/4. European Environment Agency: European Topic Centre on Waste and Materials in a Green Economy.
Bhat, V. P., & Savale, O. (2019). A comparative study of e-waste management in urban and rural areas of India and the role of media in spreading e-waste awareness. In Proceedings of International Conference on Media Ethics (pp. 1–10), 9–10 June, Pune. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3402035
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2012). Thematic analysis. In H. Cooper, P. M. Camic, D. L. Long, & A. T. Panter (Eds.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology, Vol. 2 (pp. 51–71). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/13620-004
Burkett, I. (2021). An introduction to co-design. http://ingridburkett.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Introduction-to-Codesign-2.pdf
DeVroom, D. (2019, January 28). Why it’s important to dispose of e-waste properly. IDR Environmental Services. https://blog.idrenvironmental.com/why-it-s-important-to-dispose-of-e-waste-properly
EPR Waste Association of South Africa (eWASA). (n.d.). 8 types of e-waste and how to recycle them. https://ewasa.org/8-types-of-ewaste-and-how-to-recycle-them
Forti, V., Baldé, C. P., Kuehr, R., & Garam, B. (2020). The global e-waste monitor 2020: Quantities, flows and the circular economy potential. UNU-VIE, UNITAR, ITU, and International Solid Waste Association (ISWA). https://ewastemonitor.info/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/GEM_2020_def_july1_low.pdf
Gauteng Department of e-Government. (2022, July 3). Gauteng tackles the mounting e-waste in the province. https://www.gauteng.gov.za/News/NewsDetails/%7BA1BC7B64-17B0-43BB-9685-0C2483106FF6%7D
Gazana, O. (2016). The role of telehealth in enhancing access to healthcare services in an underresourced setting: A case of Mantunzeleni in Eastern Cape Province. [Master’s thesis, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town].
Godfrey, L., Ahmed, M. T., Gebremedhin, K. G., Katima, J. H. Y., Oelofse, S., Osibanjo, O., Richter, U. H., & Yonli, A. H. (2019). Solid waste management in Africa: Governance failure or development opportunity? In N. Edomah (Ed.), Regional development in Africa (pp. 1–14). IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86974
Godfrey, L., & Oelofse, S. (2017). Historical review of waste management and recycling in South Africa. Resources, 6(4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6040057
Golightly, L., Chang, V., Xu, Q. A., Gao, X., & Liu, B. (2022). Adoption of cloud computing as innovation in the organization. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 14, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1177/18479790221093992
Grant, K., Goldizen, F. C., Sly, P. D., Brune, M.-N., Neira, M., ven den Berg, M., & Norman, R. E. (2013). Health consequences of exposure to e-waste: A systematic review. Lancet Global Health, 1(6), 350–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(13)70101-3
IBM. (n.d.). What is artificial intelligence (AI)? https://www.ibm.com/za-en/cloud/learn/what-is-artificial-intelligence
Ichikowitz, R., & Hattingh, T. (2020). Consumer e-waste recycling in South Africa. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 31(3), 44–57. https://doi.org/10.7166/31-3-2416
Jefthas, T. L. (2023). E-waste management, practices, knowledge, and behaviour: A case study of Stellenbosch University. [Master's thesis, Stellenbosch University, South Africa].
Kaminsky, H. S. (1992). Assessment of the Bamako Convention on the Ban of Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa. Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, 5(1), 77–90.
Lebbie, T. S., Moyebi, O. D., Asante, K. A., Fobil, J., Brune-Drisse, M. N., Suk, W. A., ... Carpenter, D. O. (2021). E-waste in Africa: A serious threat to the health of children. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 8488, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168488
Ludek, A. (2024, February 16). Circular opportunities for e-waste repair and reuse of electrical and electronic equipment in South Africa. WasteAid. https://wasteaid.org/circular-opportunities-for-e-waste-repair-and-reuse-of-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-in-south-africa
Lydall, M., Nyanjowa, W., & James, Y. (2017). Mapping South Africa’s waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) dismantling, pre-processing and processing technology landscape. Report prepared by Mintek for the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Machete, F. (2017). Environmental health risks associated with e-waste exposure in Badplaas, Carolina and Elukwatini landfills, Republic of South Africa. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 9(6), 679–684. https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2017.1355602
Namasudra, S. (2021). Data access control in the cloud computing environment for bioinformatics. International Journal of Applied Research in Bioinformatics (IJARB), 11(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJARB.2021010105
Odumuyiwa, V., Adelopo, A., & Nubi, A. (2021). Circular economy in Africa: Examples and opportunities: Electronics and e-waste. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy-in-africa-e-waste
Perunding Good Earth. (2021). The e-waste inventory project in Malaysia. Prepared for the Department of Environment, Malaysia.
Red Hat. (2019, November 6). What is private cloud? https://www.redhat.com/en/topics/cloud-computing/what-is-private-cloud
Sahle-Demessie, E., Glaser, J., & Richardson, T. (2018). Electronics waste management challenges and opportunities. Presentation to American Chemical Society 2018 National Meeting, 19–23 August, Boston.
Shaptunova, Y. (2024, April 8). 4 best cloud deployment models overview. SaM Solutions. https://www.sam-solutions.com/blog/four-best-cloud-deployment-models-you-need-to-know
Slattery, P., Saeri, A. K., & Bragge, P. (2020). Research co-design in health: A rapid overview of reviews. Health Research Policy and Systems, 18(17), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-020-0528-9
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). (2018, September 5). Only 10% of waste recycled in South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11527
Stats SA. (2019). Annual report 2019/2020.
Umenze, N. (2019). Twenty years of the Bamako Convention: Recounting Africa’s waste trade experience and its journey to toxic waste freedom. South African Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 25(1), 146184. https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-jlc_sajelp-v25-n1-a6
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2018, September 24). Turning e-waste into gold: The untapped potential of African landfills. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/turning-e-waste-gold-untapped-potential-african-landfills
UNEP (n.d.-a). Basel Convention: Overview. http://www.basel.int/TheConvention/Overview/tabid/1271/Default.aspx
UNEP. (n.d.-b). The Bamako Convention. https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/environmental-rights-and-governance/what-we-do/meeting-international-environmental
Williams, N., & Adetuyi, A. (2022). E-waste management in Africa – Overview and policy developments. Brooks and Knights Legal Consultants.
World Economic Forum (WEF). (2021). A new circular vision for electronics: Time for a global reboot. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_A_New_Circular_Vision_for_Electronics.pdf
World Health Organisation (WHO). (2021, June 15). Children and digital dumpsites: E-waste exposure and child health. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240023901
Ylä-Mella, J., Keiski, R. L., & Pongrácz, E. (2022). End-of-use vs. end-of-life: When do consumer electronics become waste? Resources, 11(18), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/resources11020018
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Odwa Gazana, Thembisa Grace Ngqondi
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
- Abstract 137
- PDF 40
.png){kind=spacer}