By Faridat Salifu
In 2022 alone, 62 million tonnes of e-waste were generated globally, with the figure expected to rise to 82 million tonnes by 2030.
This growing crisis, fueled by rising consumption and rapid technological advancements, poses significant environmental and economic challenges.
The report, issued jointly by the UN’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), emphasises the enormity of the problem.
The waste includes discarded electronics such as mobile phones, TVs, laptops, and even solar panels, but does not account for electric vehicle waste, which is categorized separately.
The value of the materials discarded is staggering. Half of the 62 million tonnes of e-waste comprises valuable metals like copper, gold, and iron, with an estimated worth of $91 billion.
These metals are critical for modern electronics and have strategic importance, particularly cobalt, which is essential for battery production. Despite its value, only 22% of e-waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022, and this figure is expected to fall even further as global consumption rises.
Plastic waste, another significant component, made up 17 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, while composite materials and glass accounted for the remaining 14 million tonnes.
The decline in recycling rates is attributed to a combination of factors, including limited access to repair services, shorter product life cycles, and insufficient infrastructure for managing e-waste effectively.
The generation and handling of e-waste vary greatly across regions. Asia, which produces nearly half of the world’s e-waste, lacks sufficient regulatory frameworks to address the growing challenge.
In contrast, Europe has the highest per-capita waste generation, with each resident producing an average of 18kg of e-waste annually. However, Europe also leads in recycling efforts, with more than 40% of its e-waste being properly processed.
Africa, which generates the least amount of e-waste, has the lowest recycling and collection rates, hovering at just 1%.
The report warns that without significant improvements in e-waste management infrastructure, these disparities are likely to widen, exacerbating the environmental impact in developing regions.
Aside from the economic loss, e-waste poses significant environmental and health risks. Many discarded electronic devices contain hazardous materials like mercury and lead, which can leach into soil and water sources if improperly disposed of.
Additionally, rare earth metals, which are crucial for the tech industry, are being lost at an alarming rate.
Currently, only 1% of the demand for these 17 rare minerals is being met through recycling, underscoring the urgent need for better e-waste recovery systems.
The report also notes that, on average, every person on Earth produces 7.8 kilograms of e-waste annually, with wide variations between regions.
The growing “electronification” of society, where more products than ever contain electronic components, combined with a culture of disposability, is driving the rapid accumulation of e-waste.
The UN agencies are calling for a global response to the e-waste crisis, emphasizing the need for stronger regulation, increased recycling infrastructure, and incentives for consumers to repair and reuse electronics.
Without swift intervention, the unchecked growth of e-waste will continue to overwhelm the planet’s ability to manage it, leading to more severe environmental degradation and resource depletion.
As the world becomes more reliant on electronic devices, the issue of e-waste cannot be ignored. With recycling rates expected to fall to 20% by the end of the decade, coordinated action at both the global and local levels has never been more important.