Electronics Hub, an online resource supporting students, makers, hobbyists, and engineers in building electronics projects, has released a report that highlights the concerning rise in yearly electronics waste from 2019 to 2030.
The projected increase is over 20 million metric tons, with the amount expected to escalate from 53.6Mt to 74Mt. This surge in e-waste poses significant environmental and health risks.
They have listed African countries producing the most electronics waste includes:
Seychelles
Libya
Mauritius
Gabon
Botswana
Algeria
South Africa
Namibia
Tunisia
Swaziland
To provide a visual representation of the electronic waste problem, Electronics Hub has employed a unique approach. By comparing the global volume of e-waste to well-known landmarks and buildings, they effectively demonstrate the scale of the issue on a daily and yearly basis.
Moreover, Electronics Hub’s research encompasses the examination of electronics waste production across nearly every country and an analysis of the status of right-to-repair laws around the world.
A preview of the map depicting the quantity of e-waste generated by each country is presented, revealing some noteworthy trends. European countries, including non-EU nations like Norway, the UK, and Switzerland, dominate the top ten positions for e-waste produced per capita. Australia and the US also feature prominently on the list. On the other hand, Africa exhibits a contrasting pattern, as eighteen out of the twenty countries with the lowest e-waste levels are situated on the continent.
When focusing specifically on African countries that contribute the most to electronics waste, Seychelles emerges as the largest producer in Africa, generating 12.6kg of e-waste per capita in 2019. Following closely behind are Libya and Mauritius, which produced 11.5kg and 10.1kg per capita, respectively.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that Africa is home to eighteen out of the twenty countries with the lowest e-waste levels.
Every day in 2019, humans produced 140,000 metric tons of electronic waste. Every month, the world produces a pile of e-waste bricks that would dwarf London’s 180-meter Gherkin skyscraper – 4.47 million metric tons, to be more precise.
Every month, the world produces a pile of e-waste bricks that would dwarf London’s 180-meter Gherkin skyscraper – 4.47 million metric tons, to be more precise.
Humans dumped 53.6 million metric tons (Mt) of e-waste in 2019. This was a rise of 9.2 Mt in five years. The growth in e-waste is outstripping the growth in recycling activities.
By 2030, measured by our trusty iPhone 11 brick, the world’s annual e-waste is projected to engulf the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere: the One World Trade Center.
