Electronic devices have never been more ubiquitous in society than they are today. This means we are creating a lot of electronic waste. According to the United Nations, e-waste is being generated five times faster than we can recycle it using documented methods.
The Global E-Waste Monitoring Report 2024 released by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) warns that the annual generation of e-waste is growing at a rate of 2.6 million metric tons per year.
E-waste is defined as discarded devices with plugs or batteries, such as phones, televisions and laptops. It does not include waste generated by electric vehicles.
The report pointed out that the e-waste generated in 2022 will reach 62 million metric tons, enough to fill 1.55 million 40-ton trucks. By 2030, it is expected that the annual e-waste generated will reach 82 million tons.
What is particularly worrying is that of the 62 million tons of e-waste generated in 2022, only 13.8 million tons (22.3%) will be officially recorded, collected and properly recycled. This number is expected to fall to 20% by the end of the decade due to technological advancements, limited repair options, shortened product life cycles, increasing electronics and insufficient e-waste management infrastructure.
E-waste generation and recycling rates vary around the world. Europe generates the most e-waste, at 17.6 kilograms (38.8 pounds) per capita, while the Americas generate 14.1 kilograms. However, the formal collection and recycling rate in Europe is 42.8%, compared with 41.4% in Oceania, 30% in the Americas, 11.8% in Asia and only 0.7% in Africa.
New research shows that the global challenge posed by e-waste is only growing. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, said: "Fewer than half of the world's countries have implemented and enforced methods to manage this problem, which is a wake-up call for stronger regulations to increase collection and recycling."
Large amounts of electronic waste not only affect the environment. The report pointed out that the net economic loss caused by e-waste is as high as 37 billion U.S. dollars every year. Without improved e-waste management and policies, this figure is expected to reach $40 billion by 2030.
Tech giants such as Apple and Samsung have recently become more supportive of the "right to repair" movement to help reduce e-waste, but there is still a long way to go to improve current recycling processes.