Bruna Alves
Research lead covering environment and sustainability
Global e-waste - statistics & facts
Electronic waste has become one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. With 62 million metric tons generated across the world in 2022, the volume of discarded electronic material has nearly doubled since 2010. Despite this growth, waste management remains inadequate, with over three-quarters of e-waste still going undocumented. With e-waste generation forecast to exceed 80 million metric tons by 2030, improved recycling and recovery infrastructure will be needed. But challenges remain.
The fate of the remaining millions of metric tons of e-waste generated annually is mostly unknown, with a large share estimated to end up in landfills. Due to a lack of recycling infrastructure, many countries in the Global North deal with their e-scrap by exporting large amounts to developing regions that lack proper waste management systems and regulations. France, Germany, and the UK are all among the top exporters of e-waste worldwide.
Rapidly advancing technologies, rising consumer demand for electronics, and shorter product life cycles have made e-waste a growing source of environmental concern. With only 81 countries worldwide covered by electronic waste legislation, policy, and regulation, increasing collection and recycling rates will be one of the biggest challenges of the coming decade.
What is e-waste?
E-waste refers to discarded electronic devices with a battery or plug. By weight, small equipment, – which includes products such as microwaves, vacuum cleaners, and kettles, – accounts for the largest share of e-waste produced worldwide, with over 20 million metric tons generated in 2022. Meanwhile, photovoltaic panels accounted for just under one percent of e-waste generated. However, with the rise in solar PV energy deployment worldwide, they are expected to become a growing source of e-waste, as more devices reach the end of their lifetime.Where is e-waste generated?
Asia accounts for almost half of global e-waste generation, with the majority of this produced in China – the world’s largest e-waste producer. While Asia generates far more e-waste than any other region, Europe holds the title when it comes to e-waste generation per capita, with almost 18 kilograms per inhabitant produced in 2022. Oceania and the Americas also had per capita e-waste generations far above the global average of 7.8 kilograms.How much e-waste is recycled each year?
E-waste holds large volumes of valuable raw materials, including gold, palladium, silver, iron, copper, and rare earth minerals. However, just 22.3 percent of e-waste generated worldwide, or roughly 14 million metric tons, was documented as collected and properly recycled in 2022. In fact, while e-waste generation has nearly doubled since 2010, the amount collected for recycling only grew by 70 percent in the same period.The fate of the remaining millions of metric tons of e-waste generated annually is mostly unknown, with a large share estimated to end up in landfills. Due to a lack of recycling infrastructure, many countries in the Global North deal with their e-scrap by exporting large amounts to developing regions that lack proper waste management systems and regulations. France, Germany, and the UK are all among the top exporters of e-waste worldwide.
Rapidly advancing technologies, rising consumer demand for electronics, and shorter product life cycles have made e-waste a growing source of environmental concern. With only 81 countries worldwide covered by electronic waste legislation, policy, and regulation, increasing collection and recycling rates will be one of the biggest challenges of the coming decade.
Bruna Alves
,
May 6, 2024
Bruna Alves
Research lead covering environment and sustainability
