According to the United Nations‘ report, India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world. India had discarded 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electronic and electrical equipment in 2014 alone. The report point out that the volume of global e-waste is likely to rise sharply by 21 per cent in next three years. The ‘Global E-Waste Monitor 2014‘ report was compiled by UN’s think tank United Nations University (UNU).
The top 5 countries are,
- United States of America
- China
- Japan
- Germany
- India
Most e-waste in the world in 2014 was generated in Asia at 16 Mt or 3.7kg per inhabitant. The lowest amount of e-waste in a continent was generated by Africa ie 1.9Mt of e-waste in total.
Of the total e-waste, only 7 per cent was made up of mobile phones, calculators, laptops, computers, printers, and small IT equipment. Around 60 per cent was various equipment used in homes and businesses, such as televisions, radios, vacuum cleaners, kettles, electric shavers, video cameras, washing machines, refrigerators, and ovens..etc.
Tidbits
- Electronic waste or e-waste is simply a discarded electrical or electronic device.
- Electrical waste contains hazardous but also valuable and scarce materials.
- Guiyu in the Shantou region of China is a huge electronic waste processing area. It is often referred to as the “e-waste capital of the world.”
- Recycling raw materials from end-of-life electronics is the most effective solution to the growing e-waste problem.
