The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has said there is now a global concern over the rate at which more electronic waste is being generated from used computers, mobile phones, and TVs, among others.
According to the body, discarded wastes from these devices constitute a health and environmental hazard as they contain toxic additives or hazardous substances such as mercury, which can damage the human brain and coordination system.
The UN’s fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) just released by the ITU reveals that the world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling.
It added 62 million tonnes of e-waste generated in 2022 would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, roughly enough trucks to form a bumper-to-bumper line encircling the equator, whereas less than one quarter (22.3%) of the year’s e-waste mass was documented as having been properly collected and recycled.
Global e-waste rising by 2.6 million tonnes annually
The report further reveals that the generation of e-waste worldwide is rising by 2.6 million tonnes annually, on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, a further 33% increase from the 2022 figure.
The report foresees a drop in the documented collection and recycling rate from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% by 2030 due to the widening difference in recycling efforts relative to the staggering growth of e-waste generation worldwide.
Challenges contributing to the widening gap include technological progress, higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, society’s growing electronification, design shortcomings, and inadequate e-waste management infrastructure.
What they are saying
Commenting on the findings of the report, the Executive Director at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Nikhil Seth, said:
- “Amidst the hopeful embrace of solar panels and electronic equipment to combat the climate crisis and drive digital progress, the surge in e-waste requires urgent attention.”
- “From discarded televisions to dumped telephones, an enormous amount of e-waste is generated around the world. The latest research shows that the global challenge posed by e-waste is only going to grow,” said the Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava.
- “With less than half of the world implementing and enforcing approaches to manage the problem, this raises the alarm for sound regulations to boost collection and recycling,” Zavazava added.
The report underlines that if countries could bring the e-waste collection and recycling rates to 60% by 2030, the benefits – including through minimizing human health risks – would exceed costs by more than USD 38 billion.
It also notes that the world “remains stunningly dependent” on a few countries for rare earth elements, despite their unique properties crucial for future technologies, including renewable energy generation and e-mobility.
