20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year. Cell phones and other electronic items contain high amounts of precious metals like gold or silver. Americans dump phones containing over $60 million in gold/silver every year. Only 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled.
[Explainer] The why and how of disposing electronic waste. Consumers discarded 53.6 million tonnes worth of electronics in 2019, globally up 20 percent in 5 years. But only 17.4 percent was recycled sustainably.
Only 17% of E-waste was recycled sustainably.
Of the 53.6 million tonnes produced last year, only 17% was recycled. This means 83% of the electronic waste generated in 2019 was discarded through improper means and has the potential to be thrown to landfills where it can leak harmful toxins into the earth.
The world discarded 53.6 million tons of e-waste in 2019.
The world produces as much as 50 million tonnes of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) a year, weighing more than all of the commercial airliners ever made. Only 20% of this is formally recycled. The e-waste produced annually is worth over $62.5 billion, more than the GDP of most countries.
Since 1999, when reporting on the collection of e-waste was initiated in Norway, the collection rate has risen continuously. More than 143,790 tonnes of e-waste was collected in Norway in 2012. In 2013, the collection increased to 146,018 tonnes.
If an electronic device is too old or too damaged to donate, look for a responsible recycler. Many recyclers dump e-waste in Third World landfills, where workers process e-waste manually and are exposed to hazardous substances.
The Problem
E-waste can cause serious environmental problems due to toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury and arsenic that pollute our soil and water and disrupt our ecosystems and our health.
After soil contamination, heavy metals from e-waste, such as mercury, lithium, lead and barium, then leak through the earth even further to reach groundwater. When these heavy metals reach groundwater, they eventually make their way into ponds, streams, rivers and lakes.
Seelampur in Delhi is the largest e-waste dismantling centre of India. Adults as well as children spend 8–10 hours daily extracting reusable components and precious metals like copper, gold and various functional parts from the devices. E-waste recyclers use processes such as open incineration and acid-leeching.
China is the largest producer of electronic waste worldwide, generating more than 10 million metric tons worth in 2019.
E-waste represents 2% of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70% of overall toxic waste. 20 to 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.
The most common hazardous electronic items include LCD desktop monitors, LCD televisions, Plasma Televisions, TVs and computers with Cathode Ray Tubes. E-waste contains hundreds of substances, of which many are toxic. This includes mercury, lead, arsenic, cadmium, selenium, chromium, and flame retardants.
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