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Electronic waste as an emerging waste stream in Nepal: Current status and future prospects of management

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Author Affiliations

  • 1Nature Conservation and Study Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal
  • 2Chaoyang University of Technology, Taiwan
  • 3Chaoyang University of Technology, Taiwan

Int. Res. J. Environment Sci., Volume 11, Issue (4), Pages 24-31, October,22 (2022)

Abstract

In Nepal, the term “Solid Waste” includes waste from any source such as household, industrial, chemical, medical, and electronic sectors. Electronic waste (e-waste) is regarded as one of the fastest-growing waste categories in Nepal due to the annual upsurge in the consumption of electronic appliances. Nepal generated 28 Metric Kilotons e-waste with an average of 900 grams per person. However, Nepal has not drafted a specific national policy for managing such waste. Informal sectors handlea substantial portion of e-waste using conventional methods. Those methods, however, are unsafe and usually lead to contamination of the environment that affects human health and vulnerable populations, including women and children. This paper provides an overview of the current e-waste management status in Nepal with some global exemplary insights, highlights the urgency for the formulation of national e-waste policies, and discusses the necessity for further research to ensure sustainable e-waste management.

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