Sustainability Language

Water, Waste & Pollution

E-waste

Any discarded product with a plug or battery — 62 million tonnes generated globally in 2022, of which only 22.3 per cent was properly collected and recycled.

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Definition

E-waste is any discarded electrical or electronic product — devices with a plug or battery — including phones, computers, appliances and screens. The UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (ITU/UNITAR) reports a record 62 million tonnes generated in 2022, up 82 per cent from 2010 and rising five times faster than documented recycling; only 22.3 per cent was formally collected and recycled, squandering an estimated US$62 billion in recoverable resources, while hazardous substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium pose health and environmental risks.

References

Overview

What it means

The fastest-growing solid waste stream on Earth, simultaneously a pollution hazard and an urban mine of critical metals.

How it is used

The category is regulated under the EU WEEE Directive, extended-producer-responsibility schemes and the Basel Convention; the Monitor is the reference dataset for policy.

Why it matters

E-waste connects circularity, critical-minerals security and toxic exposure; its trajectory (projected 82 Mt by 2030) makes it a defining waste challenge of the energy transition.

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