Turn Your Old Devices Into Real Resources
A simple guide that shows why e-waste is rising and how your one action can raise formal collection today
Global E-waste keeps rising and the line does not level off by 2030. If nothing changes the pile grows and the costs grow with it.
Every year the world buys more electronics and throws out even more. By 2030 the global pile of e-waste is projected to keep climbing.
Out of 62 billion kilograms in 2022 about 13.8 billion kilograms entered verified collection and recycling. The rest remained untracked or unmanaged. The gap shows where your action is needed.
13.8 billion kg of E-waste is documented as formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner.
16 billion kg of E-waste is estimated to be collected and recycled outside of formal systems in high and upper/middle income countries with developed E-waste management infrastructure.
18 billion kg of E-waste is estimated to be handled in low and lower/middle income countries with no developed E-waste management infrastructure, mostly by the informal sector.
14 billion kg of E-waste is estimated to be disposed of as residual waste, the majority of which is landfilled globally.
E-waste is not one thing. It is 7 familiar groups.
Here is a clear, side by side view of the seven categories that compares formally collected amounts with everything not documented.
Large appliances do better because pickup is common. Small equipment lamps and small IT fall behind because they are scattered in drawers and boxes.
On average many households keep several large appliances several small appliances a couple of screens and a handful of small IT devices. A noticeable share is no longer used or is broken. Your closet and drawers likely hold easy candidates for return.
Ready to clear a drawer and help the numbers move?
Use the button to enter your ZIP code and item, then see nearby official electronics recycling locations and learn how to prepare your drop off.
Citations
Department of toxic substances control
https://dtsc.ca.gov/electronic-hazardous-waste/
E-Waste in Transition - From Pollution to Resource
https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/49287
EMEW Clean Technologies
https://emew.com/blog/global-e-waste-statistics
Global E-waste Monitor 2024
https://globalewaste.org/
The World Counts
https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/electronic-waste-facts
World Health Organization
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/electronic-waste-(e-waste)
