WeCollect

The lack of formal infrastructure has inspired us to establish own approaches on reuse and recycling of electronic and electrical waste in the Lake Victoria Region, in Kenya. Once products reach their end-of-life (EoL) or are replaced by newer products, e-devices are often piled up at home or disposed in an environmentally unsound manner. Our goal is that devices that are out of use shall be seen as valuable resources with potential to be repaired or recycled and reused to its full extent. To live up to this goal, we are searching for suitable business partners for the different downstream parts of such as plastics, metals, glass, and its specific e-waste components.

Reuse and recycling by WeTu

Our reuse and recycling project is part of the Global LEAP Awards’ Solar E-waste Challenge of 2019 and is based on three main components:

I. Sensitize and incentivize community members and stakeholders to return and hand-in e-waste.

II. Establish the seven WeTu Hubs as e-waste collection center.

III. Develop an e-waste pre-processing/dismantling plant at the WeTu Hub in Homabay.

To achieve this, we are establishing a collection and recycling value chain in the Lake Victoria region in Kenya. The project will leverage the Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) model that the we are using to implement our WASH program. The CHVs actively engage with the communities through informal gatherings and plays, to encourage behavior change on issues like water sanitation, hygiene, clean energy, and soon on sound e-waste disposal, as well. We are using Social Marketing to educate the community on the dangers and risks of e-waste. Additional incentives for turning in products are safe drinking water or fishing lantern vouchers for the community and a cash-based program for stakeholders of the informal sector.

Electric and electronic devices that are out of use shall be seen as a valuable resource with potential to be repaired or recycled in an environmentally sound manner. WeTu is searching for suitable partners for the different downstream parts of the devices such as plastics, metals, glass, and its specific e-waste components.

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Collection Centers

WeTu has completed the setup of five WeCollect centers in the following locations: Mbita, Sindo, Ragwe (Homabay County), Sori (Migori County) and Honge (Siaya County). The collection centers for the intake and storage of e-waste are located at our WeTu Hubs that offer reliable and safe products in e-mobility, clean energy and clean drinking water services to its communities.

Preprocessing Plant

Our WeTu Homabay Hub will serve as a pre-processing plant. All e-devices from the seven WeCollect points will be transported and gathered there to go through the first dismantling steps of the products. The different downstream components will then be sent to trusted partners who continue the recycling process or repair and exchange failing parts.

Events

Sensitization training for Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) about WASH and e-waste – in cooperation with KWAHO

12th – 14th August at WeTu Honge Hub (Siaya County)

4th – 6th August, 2020 at WeTu Sori Hub (Migori County)

28th – 30th July, 2020 at WeTu Sindo Hub (Homabay County)