According to WEEE, almost 3.5 billion mobile phones will be thrown away in 2022. International waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) says the estimates are based on global trade data. It also raises concerns regarding the growing environmental problem of e-waste.
E-waste is a popular informal name for electronic products that are not working or are at the end of their useful life such as television, VCRs, Computers, copiers, fax machines and mobile phones.
16 billion phones worldwide and a third are no longer in use
According to the research, people keep their old phones rather than recycle them. WEEE director general Pascal Leroy said, ‘’ people tend not to realise that all these seemingly insignificant items have a lot of value and together at a global level represent massive volumes.’’
There are almost 16 billion phones worldwide. E-waste from electronics such as toasters to washing machines, and global positioning(GPS) devices and toasters will grow to 74 million tonnes per year by 2030 which is huge.
UN has set a target of 30% e-waste recycling
United Nations international telecommunication Union has set a target of 30% e-waste recycling. However, current recycling is only 17% of the world’s e-waste. That shows the
‘’Fastest and most complex waste streams that affect both the environment and human health’’. It contains harmful elements in it.
Meanwhile, recently the Royal Society of Chemistry launched a campaign to promote e-waste mining. The campaign highlights global conflict including threats to the metal supply chain. Magdalena Charytanowicz, of the WEEE, said: “These devices offer many important resources that are useful in the production of new electronic devices, other equipment, such as wind turbines, electric car batteries or solar panels – all crucial for the green, digital transition to low-carbon societies.”
