“I would say that it is worth it,” said Boniface Chimwaza, Chief Environmental Planning Officer of the Environmental Affairs Department of Malawi, speaking of the seven-year journey to develop the National E-waste Management Policy in Malawi. “It’s not that long if you are considering the impact on the population of Malawi and across the borders,” he said.

The National E-waste Management Policy – Malawi’s first guiding document for e-waste management – was launched in October 2024. It was developed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change through the Environmental Affairs Department, in collaboration with the Malawi Communication Regulatory Authority (MACRA) with support from ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau.

The process began in 2017, with the production of a report, Developing an E-waste National Policy and Regulatory Framework for Malawi, with support from the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). BDT also provided support through consultation workshops which engaged government and industry stakeholders – such as electric and electronic equipment (EEE) producers and consumers, and potential e-waste management entities – and through the drafting of the policy.

“Malawi – like many developing countries – tends to be a dumping ground for e-waste. The policy provides for the limitation of importing e-waste by making sure that all of the equipment is properly vetted, that the illegal movement of materials are stopped, and other countries are protected,” said Chimwaza. “I can confidently say that if it was not for ITU, maybe we wouldn’t have achieved what we have achieved so far. ITU has always been there to provide technical support throughout the whole process, which has been very valuable.”

Despite challenges – including delays due to the COVID pandemic – the drafting of the policy was a success. But Malawi was already seeing a positive impact before the policy had even been approved.

“The awareness that we generated while developing the policy was already having a positive impact on the ground. For example, people became more aware of where and how to dispose of e-waste properly, and companies learned about how to handle e-waste safely,” said Chimwaza.

These efforts demonstrate a collective commitment to sustainable development, health and environmental protection. In addition, the policy will bring job creation and contribute to the national economy.

But the benefits and impact of the policy will be limited unless it is part of a wider global effort, says Chimwaza.

“This is a global problem; even though we want to have a local action plan, we need to have this on a global scale, because together we can achieve more than as a single country,” said Chimwaza.

His recommendation and advice to other countries who are considering embarking on a similar journey is to ensure that there are wider consultations and engagement with all stakeholders in the e-waste ecosystem.

“We have to make sure that we do not leave anyone behind in the process. Today, almost everyone is using a device of some sort; they need to be aware of how to manage these devices at the end of their life. So, if we leave people behind, they would not be able to help us manage the e-waste effectively,” he said.

And although the National E-waste Management Policy was approved in Malawi, the journey is not over.

“We need to implement it so that it can make the impact that we intend it to have on the population of Malawi and hopefully, even across the borders,” said Chimwaza. “We are in the early stages, we need to get down to business to implement those strategies – develop the regulations, develop the communication strategies, and beyond.”

Learn more about ITU’s work in e-waste and the circular economy here.

Read the Developing an E-waste National Policy and Regulatory Framework for Malawi report here.

This is an ITU Development #DigitalImpactUnlocked story

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