Cameroon’s electronic waste recyclers struggle despite historic law

Waste that the NGO cannot repair or properly dispose of at its site is taken to specialists in Douala, the economic capital, or if need be to Europe where expertise in the field is more developed. — AFP

Sheltered from the harsh central African sun by a patched-up parasol, Ismael Alioum rummages through piles of electronic waste, gleaning useful components and high-value metals from circuit boards and switches.

The scrap-metal district of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, is in full swing as artisanal workers scavenge through discarded items and sell their harvest to traders, often Chinese or Indians.