According to a report published by the World Economic Forum on January, 24, E-waste which includes  cell phones, LED TV’s, laptops, E-readers, PC’s, and all other electrical equipment, become the fastest-growing waste stream in the world.

Do you know that;

• Only 20 percent of the nearly 50 million tons of e-waste is recycled every year.  What happens with the 80 percent? Does it end up in our landfills or become a health risk in Companies’ storerooms?
• These annual totals are projected to rise to 120 million tons by 2050 if changes are not made.
• The earth’s wealthiest deposits of valuable materials are in landfill sites or Companies’ store rooms and people’s homes
• There is 100 times more gold in a ton of smartphones than in a ton of gold ore

The report further says that “If just the raw materials (from smartphones, are recycled, they could be worth up to $11.5 billion.  The latest forecast shows that e-waste is worth $62.5 billion annually, which is more than the GDP of most countries. It is also worth three times the output of all the world’s silver mines.”

How Can We Address The Electronic Waste Issues?

Recycling and reuse are guiding principles at all stages of production and consumption.

Consumers should recycle their devices after upgrading to new technology.

The report says “Designers, Manufacturers, Investors, Traders, Miners, Raw Material producers, Recyclers, Consumers, Policymakers and others have a crucial role to play in reducing waste, retaining value within the system, extending the economic and physical life of an item, as well as its ability to be repaired, recycled and reused.  The possibilities are endless.”wealthiest