Assessment of E-waste Management in Lagos, Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities

The technological advancements in the field of electrical and electronic equipment lead to the rapid increase in the obsolescence rate of these devices and the generation of electronic waste (e-waste) both in developing and developing countries. The importation of used electrical and electronic equipment (UEEE)—which quickly ends up in waste— into developing countries is still a trend. Although importing and exporting e-waste into Nigeria is illegal according to the United Nations Basel Convention since 2002, the regulation is compromised by loopholes exploited by parties benefitting economically from the waste trade. These loopholes include the UEEE importation and the weak e-waste import enforcement regime. This problem of e-waste is worsened by a limited awareness and limited facilities for disposal methods of e-waste. The improper recycling disposal and unregulated accumulation of e-waste too have ramifications on human health and the environment at large. The improper disposal of e-waste whose major of its component is classified as hazardous waste has led to some major health implications for both children and adults. The informal sector plays a major role in the collection, dismantling and disposal of e-waste. The improper recycling and unregulated accumulation of e-waste too have ramifications on human health, the economy, and the environment at large. However, e-waste is also an asset as metals and plastics account for around 75 wt% of e-waste and provide an opportunity for resource recovery. Therefore, there is a need to find a sustainable solution for resource recovery and the sound management of e-waste. Hence, this review focuses on the current technologies from the aspect of e-waste management and resource recovery i.e. chemical conversion of e-waste plastic to valuable products as well as energy generation and metal recovery from e-waste using biometallurgical, hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical approaches. This review covers various technologies such as pyrolysis, catalytic pyrolysis, gasification, and supercritical fluids to recycle e-waste plastic. In addition, the recovery of metals using hydrometallurgical technologies such as cyanide, thiosulfate, thiourea, and acid leaching has also been discussed. This review considers the environment-friendly approach, economic value, and recycling efficiency of the process as important parameters for e-waste recycling. However, not all of the methods are implementable in developing countries like Nigeria because of the challenges associated with the implementation of the technology on an industrial scale, cost of operation and maintenance of technology, the energy consumption, environmental friendliness, recycling efficiency, possibility to become continuous practice and simplicity of the technology. The review suggested further research on more appropriate technologies for material recovery. Keywords: e-waste, informal sector, recycling biometallurgical, hydrometallurgical, pyrometallurgical, pyrolysis, gasification, and supercritical fluids.