Mobile Phone Waste: 13 Tonnes for Recycling

An association that engages in environmental protection launched their project in Douala on February 21st 2017.

Statistics from Telecommunication Regulatory Board shows that there were 17 million mobile phone subscribers in Cameroonians in 2015. Since the number of subscribers has to increase with time, with some persons having more than one phone, it will not be a mistake to say there are over 17 million mobile phones in use. The big question is; where the phones are disposed of when completely out of use and the health and environmental hazards inappropriate disposal of the gadgets and accessories containing toxic substances might cause. To attempt the answer to the pertinent questions, an organisation engaged in environmental protection, Fondation Camerounaise de Terre Vivante dubbed FCTV, came up with a project to rid some major towns of mobile phone waste.
Speaking in Douala during the project launch, Project Coordinator, Mouamfon Mama disclosed that since January 2016, the FCTV has collected, selected, dismantled and stocked about 13 tonnes of mobile phone waste from three regions including Centre, Littoral and South West regions. In hand to encourage the association, Inspector N°1 of the Ministry of Environment Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, Wagnoun Valentin said the project is in line with government’s action which seeks to promote a healthy environment.
To ensure better collection of the waste, Gilles Azemazi, FCTV’s Workshop Chief disclosed that they collaborate with phone repairers who either bring the bad phones to their workshop or their collect staff go for the phones while individuals who are aware of their activities hand them such phones and accessories in the workshop. Among the 13-tonne-waste that will be exported to France for recycling are phone screens, ear phones, keyboards, electric cards, chargers, batteries and cables. The ceremony was graced by the presence of partners and sponsors including one of the top leading telecommunication companies.
 

Wagnoun Valentine,: « Nous travaillons pour créer une bourse des déchets »

Inspecteur n°1 Ministère de l’Environnement

« C’est une association qui dispose d’un permis environnemental donnant la possibilité de collecter et de gérer les déchets. L’enjeu ici, pour nous, c’est de nous assurer que ces déchets sont collectés dans des conditions qui préservent la santé et l’environnement. C’est une très bonne idée qui va dans le sens d’accompagner les pouvoirs publics dans ce qu’ils font déjà. Ces déchets qui sont en train d’être envoyés vers un centre de traitement qui a les infrastructures appropriées pour leur gestion. Au niveau du Cameroun, on n’a pas encore les équipem...