The Shocking Truth About Electronic Waste

E-waste represents a huge problem all around the globe. There are many countries that are taking steps to tackle the issue. In Europe, the WEEE Regulations have been set up to ensure that all companies are acting responsibility when disposing of electronic waste. However, to truly understand the importance of the correct disposal of electronic items, it is essential to take a look at some key facts and figures. So, read on to discover everything you need to know.

50 million tons of electronic waste is produced worldwide per year – Every year, more than 50 million tons of e-waste is being produced all around the world.

12.5 per cent of e-waste is recycled – While positive steps are being taken, and this figure is expected to increase, it is startling that only 12.5 per cent of electronic waste is being recycled at present. What happens to the rest of it? Well, it ends up in landfills, which means that it is harming the environment, and posing serious health risks to those in the surrounding areas.

Precious metals are being wasted – Did you know that every mobile phone generates more than 35,000 pounds of copper? To put this into perspective, at present, copper is worth more than £1 per pound. Other metals are also recovered, including gold, and thus if you simply throw away your smartphones you are wasting a lot of precious resources.

25 per cent of waste could be reused – In the UK, research indicates that almost a quarter of all electrical and electronic equipment waste that has been taken to centres for household waste recycling could be re-used. This totals to a gross of around £200 million per annum.

You can power a home by recycling your laptop – You may be shocked to discover the amount of energy that is used to power an electronic device. In fact, it is believed that 3,600 homes can be supplied with energy for every one million laptops that are recycled.

The US and China are the worst culprits – The US is the worst offender when it comes to e-waste. Data shows that they produce 9.4 million tons of e-waste per annum, and what is worse is that every year 26,500 tons of this being sent to poorer nations. China is not far behind, as they produce around 7.3 million tons of electronic waste on a yearly basis. In Europe where there are Waste Electrical and Electronic – WEEE Regulations countries are already recycling and reusing significant amounts of WEEE aided by commercial asset recycling companies like Coara.

A ten cadmium battery can pollute 600,000 litres of water – These are the batteries that are found within smartphones, and the water it pollutes is the water we drink.

E-waste makes up 70 per cent of all toxic waste – This is one of the most worrying figures of them all. With toxic materials, such as cadmium, mercury, and lead, present within smartphones and other electronic devices, e-waste is very dangerous.

E-waste to reach 65.4 million tons a year by 2017 – The forecast does not look good in terms of e-waste in the future. As we become more reliant on electronic and electrical items, and new products are released onto the market, e-waste is set to soar to in excess of 65 million tons by 2017. However, this is a statistic we can change. By raising awareness about the issue and adopting environmentally friendly practises, we can make sure that this total is not reached.

The author has written and published articles on a wide range of topics including Small Business Advice, Tax and Accounting, Interior Design, House Renovation and Project Management.