Geneva/Bonn – The United Nations’ fourth Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) highlights that the generation of electronic waste worldwide is increasing at a rate five times faster than its documented recycling.
In 2022, a staggering 62 million tonnes of e-waste were produced, an 82% increase since 2010. This figure is expected to grow by another 32%, reaching 82 million tonnes by 2030. Despite the presence of valuable resources in e-waste, only 1% of the demand for rare earth elements is met through recycling.
To visualize the scale, the 62 million tonnes of e-waste generated in 2022 would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks, enough to create a continuous line around the equator, as reported by ITU and UNITAR.
In 2022, less than 22.3% of e-waste was properly collected and recycled, leaving $62 billion worth of recoverable resources unutilized and posing increased pollution risks globally. The annual generation of e-waste is rising by 2.6 million tonnes each year, projected to hit 82 million tonnes by 2030.
E-waste, defined as any discarded product with a plug or battery, contains toxic substances like mercury, which pose significant health and environmental hazards.
The report predicts a decrease in the documented recycling rate from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% by 2030 due to the growing disparity between recycling efforts and the rapid increase in e-waste generation. Factors contributing to this gap include technological advancements, higher consumption rates, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, increased electronification of society, design flaws, and inadequate e-waste management infrastructure.
The report emphasizes that increasing the e-waste collection and recycling rate to 60% by 2030 could yield benefits surpassing costs by over $38 billion, primarily through reduced health risks. Additionally, the world’s reliance on a limited number of countries for rare earth elements remains a critical issue, given these elements’ importance for future technologies like renewable energy and e-mobility.
For more details, you can access the Global E-waste Monitor 2024 report.
