E-waste generation continues to grow
Rapidly advancing technologies, rising consumer demand for electronics, and shorter product life cycles have made e-waste one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. Between 2010 and 2019, e-waste generation increased by roughly 60 percent, and this growth shows no signs of slowing down. By 2030, annual e-waste production is on track to reach a staggering 75 million metric tons. Asia accounts for almost half of global e-waste, with the majority of this produced in China - the world’s largest e-waste producer. While Asia generates far more e-waste than other regions in total, it produces almost three times less e-waste per capita than Europe.How is e-waste managed?
Global e-waste is thought to hold roughly 60 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of raw materials such as gold, palladium, silver, and copper. However, just 17 percent of global e-waste is documented to be collected and properly recycled each year. The fate of the remaining waste is mostly unknown, meaning huge amounts of valuable recoverable raw materials are likely dumped and burned.Many wealthy countries deal with their e-scrap by exporting large amounts to developing regions that lack proper waste management, such as Africa. Electronics can be comprised of toxic substances like mercury, arsenic, and flame retardants, which leach into the environment when not properly managed. This is becoming a growing health and environmental issue, especially in Ghana, where one of the world’s largest e-waste sites is located. To combat hazardous e-waste exports to developing countries, amendments to the Basel Convention were agreed upon that will ensure that the transboundary movement of hazardous and non-hazardous e-waste will either be banned or at a minimum require notification by the exporting country and consent by the importing country.