The world’s generation of electronic waste is rising five times faster than documented e-waste recycling, A record 62 million tonnes (Mt) of e-waste/WEEE was produced in 2022, Up 82% from 2010; On track to rise another 32%, to 82 million tonnes, in 2030; Billions of dollar’s worth of strategically-valuable resources squandered, dumped; Just 1% of rare earth element demand is met by e-waste/WEEE recycling.
The world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste/WEEE in 2022
The ongoing annual EXTRA e-waste/WEEE generation is 2.6 million tonnes
The annual total will reach 82 million tonnes by 2030
Only 22.3% of the e-waste/WEEE generated in 2022 was documented as having been properly collected and recycled
The annual value of lost recoverable materials is $62 billion (€57 billion)
E-waste/WEEE, is a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives or hazardous substances such as mercury
The world “remains totally dependent” on a few countries for rare earth elements, despite their unique properties crucial for future technologies, including renewable energy generation and e-mobility.
A full synopsis of the report has been produced by The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (unitar)
The actual report can be downloaded from HERE
