The world is grappling with a severe waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) – more commonly known as e-waste – crisis, as the volume of discarded items continues to surge. The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 presents alarming statistics and trends, emphasising the urgent need for improved management and recycling practices to mitigate environmental and health impacts.
The surge in e-waste – an item that uses a plug or batteries becomes e-waste when it is no longer used – is driven by rapid technological advancements, increased consumption and inadequate repair options, shorter product lifecycles and insufficient waste management infrastructure. This has led to the hoarding of EEE within homes and workplaces, and as technology develops, more devices are being included, such as e-bikes/scooters, smart clothing and furniture and energy-saving equipment.
Global problem
According to the Monitor, in 2022, the world generated a staggering 62 billion kg of e-waste – a significant increase from 34 billion kg in 2010. Future projections estimate that 82 billion kg will be generated in 2030.
Despite some improvements in the collection and recycling of e-waste, these efforts have not kept pace with the growing volume. Europe leads in e-waste generation, producing 17.6 kg per capita, followed by Oceania at 16.1 kg and the Americas at 14.1 kg. However, Europe also boasts the highest documented collection and recycling rate at 42.8%, compared with a global average of 22.3%.
The UK generated approximately 1.7 billion kg of e-waste in 2022 – the highest in Northern Europe – and it is the second-highest generator per capita, at 24 kg. The UK has made strides in improving e-waste management through regulatory frameworks and public awareness campaigns. However, challenges remain, including gaps in the collection and recycling infrastructure. Strengthening these frameworks and improving enforcement are essential for the country to manage its e-waste effectively.
Looking at the bigger picture, of the 62 billion kg of e-waste, the recycling figures are sobering. According to the Monitor, only 13.8 billion kg of e-waste was formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner. Outside of the formal system but in countries with developed e-waste infrastructure, 16 billion kg was estimated to be collected. This is still less than the 18 billion kg handled by the informal sector in areas with no developed e-waste management infrastructure. Disturbingly, around 14 billion kg is thought to have been disposed of as residual waste and therefore likely to have ended up in landfill.
Most pertinent for our sector, 4.6 billion kg of e-waste globally comes from small IT and telecoms equipment, of which only 22% is formally collected and recycled. Screens and monitors represent 5.9 billion kg, of which 25% is properly recycled.
Valuable but dangerous
Unsurprisingly, significant disparities in e-waste management exist across regions – high-income countries with advanced collection and recycling infrastructure manage e-waste more effectively. In contrast, those without proper legislation see minimal formal collection and recycling efforts.
Effective e-waste management hinges on the development and enforcement of laws. Currently, 81 countries have enacted such legislation, covering 71% of the world’s population, with the UK’s underpinned by the WEEE Regulations 2013. However, enforcement and compliance remain major issues – only 17.4% of the e-waste generated in low-income countries is formally documented as collected and recycled.
EEE contains valuable and critical metals such as gold, silver, copper, platinum and rare earth elements. Proper recycling could recover significant amounts of these metals, contributing to resource conservation and reducing the need for environmentally destructive mining activities. Due to improper handling, the Monitor states that 31 billion kg of metals, 17 billion kg of plastics and 14 billion kg of other materials such as glass and minerals – all recoverable materials – were lost in 2022.
According to the report, around 19 billion kg of e-waste was turned into secondary resources. This included an estimated 300,000 kg of precious and platinum-group metals; but for rare metals, which are vital for future technologies, recycling activities make up only 1% of the current demand.
Despite increasing awareness, the share of secondary materials declined from 9.1% in 2018 to 7.2% in 2023, while material consumption continues to rise. During this timeframe, the Monitor reveals that we have consumed over 500 gigatonnes – 28% of all the materials humanity has consumed since 1900!
Improper handling of e-waste releases toxic chemicals and heavy metals – including lead, mercury, cadmium and flame retardants – into the environment, contaminating soil and waterways and polluting the atmosphere. For example, informal e-waste collection releases 58,000 kg of mercury and 45 million kg of plastics containing brominated flame retardants into the environment annually. All these substances pose severe health risks to communities, particularly in developing countries where informal recycling practices are prevalent.
Global cooperation is urgently needed to address these environmental and health challenges, especially considering the 900 billion kg of ore left in the ground thanks to urban mining (extraction of resources from waste, ie recycling) is equivalent to 52 billion kg of CO2-equivalent emissions avoided.
Full circle
Our current take-make-waste linear approach must be changed to a closed loop system. In the UK, the Right to Repair Regulations introduced in July 2021 currently focus on household EEE such as washing machines and televisions but are expected to be expanded into other categories, including small consumer electronics such as mobile phones and laptops.
Government policies and business and community initiatives are crucial in supporting the circular economy. Encouraging behavioural changes towards consumption in the home and workplace, along with reducing barriers to repairing and recycling e-waste, can drive more sustainable practices.
Dealer tips
Dealers can play a crucial part in the circular economy and help customers understand the issues of e-waste and the benefits of recycling properly and repairing or buying refurbished goods. It can be an easy way to offer a value-added service and boost your environmental credentials with clients.
Here are a few ideas:
- Promote electronic devices that can be easily upgraded, repaired or recycled.
- Provide an e-waste collection service for customers or a repair/refurbishment service. This could also include e-waste audits, helping customers decide whether items should be repaired, donated or recycled.
- Find out whether your wholesaler or vendors have a recycling scheme that you can participate in and become a local collector. If this option isn’t available, check local council guidelines for recycling e-waste.
- Team up with a local repair shop.
- If electronic equipment is still in a good state of repair but unwanted, identify any local charities or educational establishments, for example, that could use it.
- Encourage customers to ask their employees to bring in their devices for recycling or refurbishment – estimates suggest over 800 million unused electrical goods are sitting in UK homes.
- Look out for vendor-approved remanufactured items for sale through distributors.
- Don’t forget that data security is paramount, so partner with a reputable company to ensure total data erasure.
