UN warns Electronic Waste is increasing
United Nations agencies have issued warnings about the accumulation of electronic waste on a global scale, highlighting low recycling rates that are expected to decline further.
The agencies were talking about "e-waste," which includes old gadgets like cellphones, toys, TVs, microwaves, laptops, and solar panels that run on batteries or plugs. It doesn't cover waste from electric cars, which is considered a different type of waste.
According to a report published on Wednesday by the U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union and research arm UNITAR, approximately 62 million tons of "e-waste" was produced in 2022. To put this into perspective, this amount could fill up tractor-trailers, forming a line that could encircle the globe bumper to bumper. If current trends persist, this figure is expected to rise to 82 million tons by 2030.
Half of the 62 million tons of e-waste consisted of metals, such as copper, gold, and iron, valued at approximately $91 billion, according to the report. Plastics comprised 17 million tons, while the remaining 14 million tons comprised substances like composite materials and glass.
In 2022, the U.N. reports that 22 percent of the e-waste mass was correctly collected and recycled. However, this percentage is anticipated to decrease to 20 percent by the end of the decade due to several factors. These include the significant increase in e-waste resulting from higher consumption, limited options for repair, shorter product life cycles, the growing integration of electronics into society, and insufficient infrastructure for managing e-waste, as stated by the agencies.
The agencies highlighted that certain discarded electronic devices contain hazardous elements like mercury, along with rare Earth metals highly valued by manufacturers in the tech industry. Presently, only one percent of the demand for the 17 minerals constituting rare metals is fulfilled through recycling efforts.
The report indicates that approximately half of all e-waste is generated in Asia, where few countries have established laws regarding e-waste or set collection targets. In contrast, recycling and collection rates exceed 40 percent in Europe, where per-capita waste generation is the highest, reaching nearly 18 kilograms.
In Africa, which produces the least amount of e-waste compared to the other five major global regions, recycling and collection rates are around one percent, according to the report.
"The latest research indicates that the global issue of e-waste is set to increase," stated Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, head of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau. "With less than half of the world implementing and enforcing strategies to address this problem, there is an urgent need for robust regulations to enhance collection and recycling efforts.
For some individuals, e-waste presents an opportunity to earn money by scavenging through trash in the developing world to recover valuable commodities, despite the associated health risks.
At the Dandora dumpsite, where Nairobi's waste is taken despite being declared full by a court years ago, people sift through garbage to find e-waste they can sell to recycling businesses and make a living, despite the health risks involved.
"When you have such a large amount of e-waste, whether it's piled up in dumpsites or carelessly dumped elsewhere, it can significantly impact the soil," Masila explained. "Every year, when it rains, water carries these elements into the environment, leading to contamination. We need to focus on greater recycling and reuse of these materials to address this issue."