As a result of improvements in enforcement and regional collaboration, progress has been reported in the control of illegal shipments of e-waste in West Africa. However, in January 2023, an organized crime group was caught smuggling over 5 million kg (331 containers) of e-waste from the Canary Islands to Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal. Credit: Fondation Carmignac
Key points:
- The world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling.
- The disparity between generation and recycling resulted in billions of dollars of squandered resources and increased pollution risk for communities worldwide.
- Predictions suggest the disparity will continue to widen, but if countries can bring e-waste collection and recycling to 60% by 2030, the benefits would outweigh costs by more than $38 billion.
The UN fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) reveals that the world’s generation of electronic waste—any discarded product with a plug or a battery—is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling. In 2022, 62 million tons of e-waste were generated, while less than a quarter (22.3%) was properly collected and recycled.
E-waste can be a health and environmental hazard as it contains toxic additives and hazardous substances such as mercury that can damage the human brain and coordination system.
The disparity between e-waste generation and recycling has resulted in $62 billion worth of squandered recoverable natural resources and increased pollution risk for communities across the globe.
The GEM report estimates that there will be a drop in documented collection and recycling rates from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% by 2030. This prediction is based on the widening difference in recycling efforts relative to the growth of e-waste generation. Scientists believe the widening gap is associated with technological progress, higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, society’s growing electronification, design shortcomings, and inadequate management infrastructure.
The report also presents some hope for future efforts. If countries could bring e-waste collection and recycling rates to 60% by 2030, the benefits—including minimizing human health risks—would exceed costs by more than $38 billion.
“The Global e-waste monitor shows that we are currently wasting $91 billion in valuable metals due to insufficient e-waste recycling,” said Vanessa Gray, head of the Environment & Emergency Telecommunications Division at ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau. “We must seize the economic and environmental benefits of proper e-waste management. Otherwise, the digital ambitions of our future generations will face significant risks.”