Zambia faces a mounting electronic waste crisis, with the toxic burning of 23,000 tons of discarded gadgets each year, which poisons communities and the environment. Right in the heart of this challenge, 28-year-old innovator Chimfwembe Mutale and his company, Yaaka, are forging a brilliant solution. They are transforming this hazardous trash into valuable raw materials such as copper through a locally engineered, toxin-free recycling process. By partnering with large corporations obligated to dispose of waste safely, Yaaka has developed a commercially viable model that creates jobs and helps clean up Zambia. The company’s Kitwe plant can process 50,000 tons annually, but power outages, licensing delays, and limited funding are slowing expansion. Even so, partnerships with telecoms and government agencies are driving growth, and solar upgrades are planned to stabilize operations.
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