According to estimates, the mass of e-waste generated annually will again reach a high of 57.4 million tons in 2021. According to environmental experts at the Brussels WEEE Forum, the mass of discarded refrigerators, monitors and cell phones even exceeds the weight of the Great Wall of China. WEEE stands for “Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment”.
Despite all efforts to reduce electronic waste, the mountain continues to grow: According to the “Global E-Waste Monitor 2020” co-authored by the University of the United Nations, 53.6 million tons of electronic waste were collected in 2019, a growth of 21 percent within of five years means. And a trend reversal is not in sight: if the trend continues, 74 million tons are expected in 2030.
The problem is not just the mass, but also how it is dealt with. According to calculations by the UN experts, only 17.4 percent of the e-waste produced was collected and recycled in 2019. Many valuable raw materials – including gold and silver – were instead burned or ended up in rubbish dumps. Hazardous substances such as mercury would pose a threat to people and the environment.
There is also another environmental aspect: “As long as citizens do not return, sell or donate their used, broken equipment, we must continue to mine completely new materials that cause major environmental damage,” said Pascal Leroy, Director of the WEEE Forum and the organizer of the “International E-Waste Days”, with.