WRITTEN BY : JOSEPHINE WALBANK
Addressing the world ’ s e-waste is of paramount importance to everyone involved in the sector , if we want to ensure that we improve sustainability standards , address materials shortages and future-proof the sector .
What is the current state of the world ’ s e-waste problem ? According to UNU reports , 53.6Mt of e-waste ( an average of 7.3 kg per capita ) was generated globally in 2019 . This figure represents a 21 % rise in just five years .
Projections show this volume is set to reach 74.7Mt by 2030 , meaning that global e-waste will almost double in less than two decades .
Furthermore , current estimates suggest that less than 20 % of the world ’ s discarded electrical items actually end up being properly recycled .
This means that the issue extends beyond that of the sheer volume of waste that this will add to the world ’ s landfills . Due to the presence of lead and other toxic materials , e-waste currently makes up around 70 % of the world ’ s surface-level toxic pollution , too .
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