Urban Mining: Turn Electric Trash Into Cash

You’re not alone— Kenya throws away more than 53 thousand metric tonnes of e-waste every year, and only about 1% of it actually gets recycled.

That’s massive, missed money. Smart phones and electronic gadgets contain valuable materials that you can collect and sell.

Here’s the breakdown on how to turn that electronic waste into serious cash.

Meshers, PCs, phones, TVs, na zapper boards ziko na gold, silver, copper—kila kitu iko na value.

Imagine hii hustle: One tonne ya printed circuit boards iko na about 3–8 oz gold (~85–227 g), 15–20 oz silver (~425–567 g), na 500+ lbs copper.

Hiyo ni amazing—no wonder tunasema “urban mining.” It’s getting real out here! 🔥📱💻♻️

Check this table 👇

UN inasema the world wastes ~$91 billion in valuable metals coz of inefficient e-waste recycling kila year.

Inasema hivi: we’re literally burning gold, copper, na silver bila processing ya kutosha.

Bonnie Mbithi, CEO wa WEEE Centre, anasema: “Africa is only scratching the surface for urban mining … we are losing billions.”

Meshers, e-waste ni fire! 🔥 Those old phones, PCs na zapper boards ziko na more gold na silver kuliko those you dig deep for.

Ndio maana inaitwa “urban mining” coz unapata precious metals straight kutoka tech trash—ni eco-friendly hustle na pesa!

Hapa Kenya, dumpsites zimejaa e-waste. Ni chance fiti ya hustlers ku-engage in e-waste recycling.

By mastering jua kali electronics repair na urban mining skills—kama extracting copper na aluminum from old gadgets—na kujenga grassroots chama networks za collecting e-waste kutoka local collection systems au recycling hubs kutoka areas kama Gikosh ama Kibera, hustlers wanaweza turn hii digital ‘black gold’ into hustles zinalipa.

Imagine: Una-repair simu Eastleigh ama ku-salvage e-metals Dandora, kama pia una-create green jobs while cleaning up cities zetu—wueh, hii ndiyo circular economy ya kesho! ♻️

Ni time poa yaku-grab hiyo chance. Meshers, let’s flip those circuit boards na batteries into “aha, pesa!”

🚀 Kuwa urban miner, sio consumer tu. Dream big, hustle smart! 😎💸

Hio cracked phone ama dead laptop yako sio junk tu! What most people call “e-waste” ni a hidden goldmine.

Old electronics ziko na parts nyingi—motherboards, screens, copper wires, batteries—zile unaweza harvest, fix, ama sell.

Kuna wale wana-flip hizi gadgets online, na wengine wanauza parts kwa repair shops. Others are salvaging components to create DIY tech kama Bluetooth speakers au solar chargers.

Basically, hata kama inakaa imekufa, maybe ni vile haujajua how to resurrect it (or sell it).

Pia, recycling centres watakulipa uwaletee your old gadgets. Na kama uko into content creation au online hustle, kushow audience yako e-waste “treasure hunts” can build you a whole audience while unakula doh poa.

Sio lazima ukuwe na degree au capital mob—just curiosity yako na a bit of hustle. Tech scene yetu ina-explode, na the backdoor iko wazi for wale hustlers smart enough to turn e-trash into cha-ching. Cheza smart! 💡💸

Young innovators across Africa wana-flip script ya e-waste—transforming old tech into smart solutions, art, na pesa. Cheki hii clip uone ujanja ya this young guy. 👇

https://www.tiktok.com/@ken...

Hii video ina-showcase student aki-demonstrae a DIY solar-powered trash bin alitengeneza kutoka recycled electronic components.

Inashow his ingenuity in transforming e-waste into functional smart bins.

So, unataka kuingia hustle ya kuokota e-waste upate kakitu? Smart move! Hii si biz complicated; ni side hustle noma sana yenye inaweza kuingiza doh poa.

Many people consider electronics zimechapa kama trash tu, but ukicheza smart, uta-discover ni goldmine imejificha.

Kama biz ya e-waste collection agent ina-sound kama hustle fiti, cheki hii game plan:

First, jua ni wapi hizi e-waste zinapatikana easily.

• Nai: Think Gikomba, Ngara, Kariokor, Eastleigh, hata huko Juja Road. Basically, mitaa zote zenye kuna mafundi wengi wa electronics (jua kali zones). That’s where utapata simu, comp, ama TVs zimechapa.

• Mombasa: Check out areas where kuna CCTV za kitambo na old phones. There are many such areas.

• Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru: Even here, PCs za kitambo, phones, na dead TVs ziko kibao. Anywhere watu wanataka ku-dispose electronics zao, wewe kuwa radar!

You can also network na mafundi wa electronics mtaani, repair shops, na watu wako into tech.

Many wako na gadgets wame-give up nazo – labda TV imeblank, laptop imekataa kuwaka, ama charger imeharibika.

Many will gladly give them to you for free coz unawasaidia kuondoa kitu hawaihitaji. Usiogope kuuliza!

Unaweza upcycle karibu kila kitu!

• Chargers (hizi hupotea kama tissue!)

• Cables (za kila aina)

• Motherboards (hizi ziko na value!)

• Battery packs (za simu, laptops)

• Speakers (hata kama ni za system ya kitambo)

• Screens zimepasuka (bado ziko na parts)

Basically, anything electronic yenye haitumiki tena. Zote zinaweza leta doh! 💰

Uko ready ku-hustle na electronic waste? Cheki vile utaanza hii mission:

• WEEE Centre: Hawa wako na collection points mob. Check out site yao (weeecentre.com) or even wapigie simu ujue ziko wapi karibu nawe. Ukienda, beba e-waste yako ikiwa imepangwa fiti.

• Organizations Zingine: Kuna companies kama EWIK (E-waste Initiative Kenya) pia zina-collect old electronic equipment. Unaweza chapiana nao.

• Jipange Mwenyewe: Unaweza kuwa na box yako kwa mtaa yako, uiweke a green sign ♻️ na uambie watu ni ya ku-drop e-waste. Kuwa creative!

Hapa ndio hustle inaingia. Ongea kama pro with individuals and such recyclers:

• Mara mob, watu watakupa e-waste for free juu unawasaidia ku-dispose. Hapo ni wewe na bidii yako ya ku-collect.

• Piga deal na recyclers wakubwa: Ikiwezekana, talk them into making you their official collection agent. If successful, unaweza negotiate payment.

•Commission: Some big electronic waste recyclers may agree kukupatia commission. For example, unaweza pata kitu kama 20–50 bob per kilo ya motherboards ama batteries (hii ni ballpark tu, bei za mtaa zinaweza change). Kuwa msharp: jua value ya stuff yako, usipigwe character development! 😉

•You can sell e-waste yako direct kwa electronics recyclers.

•Pia kuna scrap yards mob zinauza na kununua electronic parts.

• Ukiwa na volume poa, you can earn kitu kama Sh500-1,000 daily.

So, usilale kwa hii opportunity. Anza kidogo kidogo, kuwa na bidii, and turn hiyo "electronic trash" into treasure yako! Cheza smart! 💡♻️💪

Okay, so ume-land hizi electronics zimechoka? Poa! Chora hii story like una-decode treasure map. 🗺️💰 Hizi simu ama PC zenye zimebeat, usizione ni useless.

• Zile bado zina-power on? Kama simu ama laptop bado inawaka ata kidogo, hizo weka kando carefully. Those can be donated, ama parts zake ni valuable sana. Unaweza ziuza kama mzima mzima kwa watu wengine.

•Fanya quick check-up (diagnostics chap chap!): Even before uanze kufungua gadget, angalia. Simu iki-boot tu, hiyo ni sign poa! Weka fiti – hiyo ni catch! 📱👍

•Ma-fundi wa repair shops wanadai hizi vitu mbaya! Wanatafuta sana working parts kama motherboards, batteries (especially zile bado ziko na power kidogo), ICs, na screens (even if zimecrack, sometimes display bado iko sawa).

•Anza kuchambua sasa! Chomoa kila kitu useful unaweza pata, kama RAM chips, graphics cards, wires za copper (hizi ni doh!), na bulbs. Even screws! Eh, usidharau screws-kuna time zinatafutwa sana.🔩

•Na usisahau, wasee wengine pia wanataka hizi components. Kuna watu wanajua venye wanaweza tumia hizo ku-fix vitu zingine ama kwa projects zao za DIY. So, kila kitu iko na potential! 😉

•Chukua tools zako – screwdrivers, pliers, etc.

•Heads up! Substances kama battery chemicals ni dangerous, so kuwa careful sana. ☣​️​

•Fungua plastic covers, chomoa circuit boards, and harvest the copper wires.

•Collect chuma (iron/steel) na zile non-ferrous (like copper na aluminium). Usisahau PC CPU na capacitors.

•Hizi full sets (like TV, radio) bei yake si mob per item, but if you have many, ni pesa poa.

• Plastics (covers, PC cases): Hizi hazina soko sana hapa Kenya coz hakuna plastic recyclers wengi. Kuzitupa ni issue, so you can stock them for ma-artisan wa art; wanaweza tengeneza vitu ka bowls. 🎨

•Arrange boards/PCBs zako fiti on a dry space.

•Wipe them to get rid of the dust, fingerprints, and oils, which can affect bei ya kuuza.

•Battery acid hi hazardous! 💣 Store mbali na place kuna maji.

•Weka label kwa box ama kamba: "laptop batteries," "transformer coils," "LED panels," etc.

•Uki-store stock yako mtaani (kwa lami), secure it properly, ndio wezi wasikutembelee! 🔒

•Repair shops in Nai, Nyeri, Kisumu, etc., are often in need of hizi scrap parts. They can buy motherboards and old phones for parts.

•Check with recycling firms: Scrap dealers wanaweza buy copper na aluminium by kilo (call them first ujue bei ya soko inaendaje).

• If you have circuit boards mob, WEEE Centre and other such companies may take them off your hands.

•Some electronic repair shops hulipa like 50-100 bob per kg for boards.

•Kuna option ingine: Online marketplaces (Jiji, Instagram)! 📲 Post picha za parts zako chap chap na ufunge deal.

Hii si tu idle talk, ni a serious matter for hustlers na Kenya mzima!

Government ina-push the circular economy chini ya BeTA (Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda), na wamesema kuna pilot e-waste facility inakuja.

Sisi kama youth tukibamba hii opportunity, tunapata skills za biz na tulinde environment yetu.

1️⃣Skills & Kazi: Kujua ku-disassemble electronics ni kama kuanza training ya engineer. From there, unaweza anzisha startup yako (kama WEEE Centre!). Badala ya ku-expect kazi, create your own job!

2️⃣Doh ya Kuingia: Even as a side-hustle tu, inaleta food kwa meza. Nimeona wasee waki-collect junk Gikomba, waki-sell kwa recycler, na wanapata daily cash. 💰

3️⃣ Environment Safi: Tunapunguza pollution and strengthening our local market. Less batteries kwa landfill means less magonjwa (lead/mercury ni hatari!). Tunachochea green biz! ♻️

So, flip the game! One gadget at a time, the market will be all eyes. 👌 Building your own e-waste hub isn’t just a dream—it’s totally doable for savvy hustlers! 🚀

👉 Ready to turn e-waste to wealth? Join the MESH community ya hustlers wanakuza Circular Economy. Learn, share ideas, get mentors, and find e-waste deals.