Electronic waste, also called e-waste, describes discarded electrical or electronic devices that have ceased to be of value to their users or no longer satisfy their original purpose.

Yaoundé struggles with ecological issues often found in the Global South : more than 77,000 tons of electronic waste, formed from household appliances, audiovisual or computer equipment, and without functional value, are rejected yearly in Cameroon.

The hazardous effects of e-waste on the environment cannot be overlooked or underestimated. When broken or unwanted electronics are dumped in landfill, toxic substances like lead and mercury can leach into soil and water. This jeopardizes the health of any nearby communities and can lead to environmental catastrophes.

Several local organizations in Cameroon have stepped in to mitigate the growing e-waste problem:
Low-Tech Lab Yaoundé is a Cameroonian non-profit organization dedicated to creating simple, low-cost, and eco-responsible innovations. That association has been providing sun-powered lamps made from recycled materials to remote communities and urban but economically-marginalized households.
Some households in the city do not have regular access to electricity. This is why the organization decided to kill two birds with one stone, solving both the problem of the accumulation of electronic waste and that of access to solar energy.

Low-Tech Lab Yaoundé efforts are accompanied by the actions of Solidarité Technologie, a french organization operating in Cameroon, dedicated to recycling and refurbishing electronic equipment.

(Please watch the short documentary about the actions of Low-Tech Lab Yaoundé : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axXJ8lPOg30 )