LIBRARY
Sound e-waste management
for a healthy environment
Photo by ITU ©
What is e-waste ?
The term "e-waste" is an abbreviation of "electronic and electrical waste". A key part of the definition is the word "waste" and what it logically implies – that the item has no further use and is rejected as useless or excess to the owner in its current condition. E-waste includes almost any household or business item containing circuitry or electrical components with either power or battery supply.
​
Although e-waste is a general term, it can be considered to denote items such as TV appliances, computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, white goods - for example, fridges, washing machines, dryers.
E-waste categories
Infographics by ITU, Baldé et al., 2015a
The challenge
The world produces 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste a year. By 2050, e-waste generation is expected to reach 120 million tonnes. We must come together to address this growing challenge.
​
E-waste is one of the fastest growing and most complex waste streams. It is often managed informally and traded illegally, with severe impact on the environment and human health.
​
Many countries do not have suitable infrastructure for e-waste collection, reuse and repair, and recycling rates are low. The e-waste challenge is further fuelled by a lack of awareness.
​
By not managing e-waste, we are losing valuable resources, valued at €55 billion every year. By management e-waste better, we can generate sustainable enterprises and green jobs and bring about a thriving circular electronics economy.