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Electronic Waste: Statistics & Facts You Won’t Believe

E-Waste Odyssey: Peeling back the surprising layers of digital debris

10 min. read

Updated onOctober 4, 2023

updated onOctober 4, 2023

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With each passing year and a growing population, the demand for electronic devices continues to surge. Therefore, manufacturers are bound to produce new models with the latest features to keep their customers engaged.

However, have you ever considered the fate of discarded devices – the ones that can’t be repaired or are thrown away by you or others? Well, it all amounts to e-waste, and unfortunately, only a small percentage of it gets recycled. The rest sits idle, polluting our environment.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into electronic waste statistics and facts that may make you rethink your habits and reflect on the implications of your digital footprint.

Why is electronic waste a growing problem?

Electronic Waste Statistics and Facts

A report on Statistastates that Asia is the largest e-waste producer worldwide, producing24.9 Million Metric Tonsof electronic waste in2019, twice the amount of waste produced by Americas, and only11.7%of this waste was collected and recycled.

According to the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership, as of2019, theaverage global electronic wastegenerated per capita is7.3 kilograms, which is the largest volume recorded. In the same year, the global e-waste generation was approximately53.6 million metric tons.

In2019, Norway generated the largest amount of e-waste per capita worldwide, i.e.28.5 kilograms.

Electronic Waste Statistics – Metric tonnes of E-Waste produced annually

From 2010 to 2019, electronic waste generation increased by approximately 60%, and there are no signs of slowing down. It is forecasted that by 2030, the annual e-waste production will reach up to 75 million metric tons.

There is more than347 million metric tonnesof unrecycled e-waste on Earth in2023.

If we talk about the amount of electronics waste produced country-wise,China, with10129thousand metric tons, is the leading nation, followed by theUnited States, with6918thousand metric tons. Here are other details:

According to areport by World Economic Forum, electronic waste is20%of all global waste and this number is estimated to increase up to30%by the year2025.

Approximately12.9 million women are working in the informal waste sector, which puts them and their unborn children at risk of exposure to toxic e-waste.

Most Common Types of E-Waste

Here isthe data on E-waste generated by countriesin these categories:

Percentage of E-Waste recycled

Countries like Estonia, Norway, and Iceland have the best e-waste recycling rates in terms of waste percentage produced by the country.

More than82%of electronic waste is not recycled and therefore not documented and tracked where it ends up.

The global average of e-waste recycled is approximately 17.4%, and here is the data on e-waste cycled for different regions:

Value of Raw Materials in Electronic Waste

Electronic waste consists of a large amount of valuable material that can be recovered through recycling and reused to make new products, thereby reducing the demand for perishable resources to an extent.

The latest report on Electronic Waste statistics states approximately$57 billion worth of recoverable precious metalsare estimated to be contained in unrecycled e-waste.

If you’re interested, also check outhow many computers are there in the worldand the potential for the number to increase in the near future.

Precious Metals Found in Electronics

From precious metals likeGold,Silver,Platinum, andPalladium, base metals likeCopper,Tin,Aluminium,Nickel,Steel,Iron,Plastics,Lead,Mercury,Cadmium,and glassto rare earth metals likeNeodymium,Europium, andYttriumcan be found in e-waste lying around on some dumpster land.

If we recycle a million cell phones, we could collect75lbofGold,772lbofSilver,35247lbofCopper, and33lbofPalladium.

As of now, only5%Platinum,15%Silver, and15%Goldare being recovered during the recycling process. If the number reaches100%, we can generate$12 billion.

Recycling the e-waste through proper channels and extracting these materials will not only keep the environment safe but also be economically beneficial.

By recycling 1 million laptops, we can conserve energy equal to the electricity consumed by3,500 houses per year.

According to the EPA, one metric ton of circuit boards can contain40 to 800 timesmoreGoldand30-40 timesmoreCopperthan what can be mined from one metric ton of ore in the United States.

Long-term Environmental Impact from Unmanaged E-Waste

Hazardous Substances That Can Be Released from Electronics

With only approximately17.4percent of e-waste collected, documented, and recycled,82%, which is a huge percentage of e-waste, remains unaccounted for.

According to the latest electronic waste statistics, from this huge percentage,55 tons of Mercury, is released or will be released eventually into the environment.

The list of substances that can be released from discarded electronics is extensive; however, when it comes to hazardous contributors, the top substances areLead (Pb),Mercury (Hg),Arsenic (As),Cadmium (Cd),Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs),Brominated Flame Retardants (BFRs),Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC),Beryllium (Be)andNickel (Ni).

Health Risks from Toxic Substances Contained in E-Waste

International E-waste Day

International E-Waste Day is an annual event celebrated on the14th of Octoberto spread awareness about rapidly growing e-waste.

This initiative focuses on educating individuals, businesses, and communities about the significance of e-waste management and proper recycling.

The goal is to bring positive changes in e-waste management, thereby reducing its adverse effects on public health and the environment.

TheWEEE Forum, an international association focused on e-waste collection and recovery systems, realized the dire need to address the rapidly increasing e-waste problems and associated health & environmental risks; therefore, it launched International E-waste Day in 2018.

The goal is to provide a platform for various stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, educational institutions, industry professionals, and the public, to work towards reducing e-waste by recycling, refurbishing, and disposing of electronics responsibly.

Another popular initiative,Right to Repair, focuses on electronic equipment owners’ rights to repair their devices, which can reduce the electronic waste caused by unused or broken appliances.

In 2021, theConsumer Reportssurvey stated that 84% of U.S. adults expressed support towards a policy mandating manufacturers to provide the repair information & parts available to independent repairers or product owners.

This year, International E-Waste Day has a new slogan,You can recycle anything with a plug, battery, or cable. These are the common activities that are observed on the day:

Looking at the electronic waste statistics and realizing the growing amount of e-waste is quite concerning.

The staggering numbers stress the urgent need for immediate action to mitigate the problem. The exponential growth of e-waste is directly proportional to the increasing environmental and health risks.

Therefore, to set the record straight, the manufacturers of electronic products should work on creating sustainable, environmentally friendly products with a bigger life span, and the consumers should responsibly dispose of the devices at the end of their life cycle.

If statistics and market share of the electronic devices interest you, read the detailed guide ondesktop vs laptop market share.

Don’t you think if we want the change, we are the ones with the power to bring it? Feel free to mention your thoughts in the comments section below.

Electronic Waste: Statistics & Facts You Won’t Believe#

Electronic Waste Statistics and Facts#

Electronic Waste Statistics – Metric tonnes of E-Waste produced annually#

Most Common Types of E-Waste#

Percentage of E-Waste recycled#

Value of Raw Materials in Electronic Waste#

Precious Metals Found in Electronics#

Long-term Environmental Impact from Unmanaged E-Waste#

Hazardous Substances That Can Be Released from Electronics#

Health Risks from Toxic Substances Contained in E-Waste#

International E-waste Day#