White goods made for the most electronic waste in 2014

In a report detailing how much electronic waste, or e-waste for short, is discarded per region of the world, it was revealed that old kitchen, bathroom and laundry equipment made up 60% of the nearly 42 million tons of discarded technology devices in 2014.

The study, which was conducted by a group of researchers from the United Nations University, stated old microwaves, washing machines, dishwashers, and a plethora of other household technologies accounted for a good majority of this type of trash. 

Perhaps a bit disconcerting — just 16% of devices thrown away made their way to proper recycling schemes. Most trash was brought to – and remains at – dump sites all across the world.

The United States was the nation that accounted for the most e-waste, recording 7,702 kilo-tons in 2015. China came in second with 6,032 kilo-tons, and Japan third at 2,200 kilo-tons. 

In terms of regions of the world that had the most technological trash, Europe led the list, which was ranked by how much waste each citizen generated. 

Norwegians threw away roughly 30kg of e-waste last year; in the various areas across Africa, each inhabitant rid themselves of about 1.7kg of tech junk in 2014. 

The report suggested at least two reasons why there was so much e-waste in 2014: for one, there’s been a significant growth in popularity when it comes domestic electronics, and two, today’s devices do not last nearly as long as their predecessors.

UN under-secretary-general David Malone, rector of the UN University, said that more needs to be done to capture electronic waste and “mine” the valuable resources used to make such equipment. 

“Worldwide, e-waste constitutes a valuable 'urban mine' — a large potential reservoir of recyclable materials,” he said.

Breaking the 42 million tons of e-waste down, there is – roughly speaking – 16,000 kilo-tons of iron, 1,900 kilo-tons of copper, and 300 tons of gold sitting around in dumps. 

Per the report, the combined value of these resources: $52 billion. 

Beyond being a horrible waste of money, this type of trash also represents a toxic hazard, as some of the other materials that make up these devices, like lead, are dangerous to humans as well as the environment, and require proper disposal. 

Read the full report on the United Nations University website.

Via BBC