E-Waste
Described by the World Health Organisation as the ‘next growing threat to the environment’, annual electronic waste production is on track to reach a staggering 75 million tonnes globally by 2030.
Less than 20% of e-waste is formally recycled, with 80% either ending up in landfill contaminating soil and groundwater, putting food supply systems and water sources at risk. Or being informally recycled – much of it by hand in developing countries, exposing workers to hazardous and carcinogenic substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium.
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E-Waste Facts
⚡Global e-waste production is on track to reach 120 million tonnes per year by 2050 if current trends continue, according to a report from the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE) and the UN E-Waste Coalition.
⚡Less than 20% of e-waste is formally recycled, with 80% either ending up in landfill or being informally recycled – much of it by hand in developing countries, exposing workers to hazardous and carcinogenic substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium. UK. This includes items such as computers, televisions, mobile phones, and household appliances.
⚡E-waste in landfill contaminates soil and groundwater, putting food supply systems and water sources at risk.
⚡In addition to health and pollution impacts, improper management of e-waste is resulting in a significant loss of scarce and valuable raw materials, such as gold, platinum, cobalt and rare earth elements. As much as 7% of the world’s gold may currently be contained in e-waste, with 100 times more gold in a tonne of e-waste than in a tonne of gold ore.
⚡There are enough cables hoarded in UK homes to circle the Earth five times, containing nearly a whopping 700 tonnes of copper.
⚡If all small old electricals that are currently hoarded in people’s homes or thrown away in general household rubbish each year were recycled, 2.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions could be saved, the equivalent of taking 1.3 million cars off the road.
⚡If all the old laptops hoarded across the UK were recycled, they could provide enough aluminium to produce 159,000 bikes; enough steel to make 12,000 playground swings; or enough plastic to make nearly 5 million life-saving defibrillators.
⚡1.3 million single-use vapes are thrown away every week, per annum this is enough to cover 22 football pitches.