TITLE:
An Overview of Informal WEEE Management in MTN Phone Village, Rumukurushi, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Ogechukwu Okwu, Evi Viza, Andrew Hursthouse, Linus Idoko
KEYWORDS:
Waste, WEEE Management, Informal, Environment
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.3,
March
21,
2025
ABSTRACT: In developing nations, the informal sector is frequently used for the management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), which presents serious threats to human health and the environment. This study carried out an overview of the informal WEEE management system adopted in MTN Phone Village in Rumukurushi, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, the associated problems, and measures to address the problems. This study highlights several issues by investigating how WEEE is currently collected, stored, disassembled, sorted, recycled, and disposed of. These issues include serious health concerns for workers, environmental contamination, financial limitations, and regulatory inadequacies. The results emphasise the necessity for more awareness, better infrastructure, stronger regulations, and financial incentives to transition informal recyclers into the formal economy. The study proposed the restriction of the activities of informal recyclers to WEEE collection only, coupled with the application of the Just-in-time lean management principles. By tackling these problems, the study hopes to provide long-term solutions that lessen the negative effects of informal WEEE disposal, eventually safeguarding the environment and public health. The outcomes of the study identified a research gap in the field. It also contributes to the existing knowledge in the field of specialisation. Furthermore, the study recommended, restricting the activities of informal recyclers to WEEE collection coupled with the adoption of the Just-in-time (JIT) lean management principles to the current WEEE management system in the location and other areas faced with similar challenges.