Global e-waste produced since you opened this page:
Based on figures from the 2020 Global E-Waste Monitor Report, in a single month, the world produces approximately 4.5 million metric tonnes of e-waste, of which only 17.4% is recycled.
Referring to discarded electronic devices and appliances such as phones, laptops, televisions and fridges, the amount of e-waste produced globally continues to rise year on year (YoY) and is in fact, increasing at a rate three times faster than the world’s population.
And the extent of the problem is catastrophic to the environment.
If sent to landfills, e-waste can leak harmful chemicals into the soil, or if incinerated, fumes release chemicals into the air, contributing to global warming. Not only this, but everything from our phones to our laptops rely heavily on precious materials to operate, which are limited resources that directly impact climate change when extracted from the earth.
Here at musicMagpie (UK) and Decluttr (US) we have visualised the monthly production of e-waste worldwide to demonstrate the true scale of the problem and highlight the need for a change in behaviour in the way that we buy, use and recycle our tech.
Click on a country within the map to discover the total e-waste it produces in a single month and how this equates to the weight of their iconic landmark. You will also uncover how much e-waste is produced annually per person and the proportion of recycled e-waste.
*Not all countries include a reference to a landmark due to information on the weight being unavailable. Not all countries declare the % of e-waste recycled.
Click on a landmark to uncover how its weight compares to the monthly e-waste produced by the UK.
Understanding how much e-waste is generated per capita certainly paints a different picture of the amount of e-waste produced by an entire country.
In a single year, it is reported that per capita, Norwegians are producing 26kg of e-waste, followed closely by people in the UK and Switzerland, where they generate approximately 23-24kg of e-waste.
These figures far exceed the world’s per capita average of 7.3kg and the European average of 16.2kg.
Despite being one of the 10 countries producing the most e-waste each month, the UK recycles only 54% of its e-waste.
Meaning, in a single month, 61,244 metric tonnes of e-waste is being improperly managed, potentially being sent to landfills.
Unless we take a stand and make conscious changes to our habits, this figure will continue to rise.
Since 2015, the e-waste produced by the world has increased by 21% and continues to rise at an alarming rate.
Fueled by factors such as digitisation, products with short replacement cycles and few options for repair, if we continue on this trajectory, by 2030, the world will be producing 35% more than it is currently.
Despite this growing environmental issue, our research at musicMagpie* has found that an alarming four in five (79%) Brits do not know what e-waste is. When given the definition of e-waste, nearly a third (31%) didn’t believe it damaged the environment or were unsure, while 45% weren’t aware it impacted climate change.
Over half of Brits (54%) also admit to being surprised by the amount of e-waste the UK produces per year, with it being more than they expected.
Unless urgent action is taken, the issue of e-waste could worsen, as our research revealed that Brits are already sitting on £16.5 Billion worth of technology they no longer use, holding on average 11 unused devices per household**.
And almost half of Brits (47%) currently do not recycle, resell, or donate their old tech to charity, with most opting to hold onto it instead where it ends up at the back of drawers collecting dust. Staggeringly, almost five million adults*** even openly admit to throwing old tech in the bin at home.
Tap on the before/after buttons below each image to compare the world's monthly e-waste production with areas in the environment most at risk of destruction from global warming.
Click on the before/after buttons in the top right corner of each image to compare the world's monthly e-waste production with areas in the environment most at risk of destruction from global warming.
This campaign is part of a wider educational initiative by musicMagpie and Decluttr, which aims to raise awareness around the issue of e-waste and encourage consumers and leaders to take action.
We recently made a statement at the G7 summit where global leaders met to address the world’s most pressing issues. Mount Recyclemore is a giant sculpture of the G7 leaders’ heads made entirely of discarded electronics which we erected on Sandy Acres beach overlooking Carbis Bay where the summit took place. Mount Recyclemore initiated a global conversation that spread across all four corners of the Earth.
In a year, we give nearly 500,000 consumer tech items a ‘second life’. We refurbish 95% of the products we receive from our customers, and if we can’t refurbish them, the majority of their parts will be reused to refurbish other products.
A great way to reduce global e-waste is through mobile recycling. By visiting our trade in page, you can recycle iPhones as well as iPads, consoles, kindles and more.
You can also buy refurbished phones. This is a great way to buy iPhones but in an environmentally responsible way.
Methodology & sourcesFor this piece, e-waste data was taken entirely from the following: Forti V., Baldé C.P., Kuehr R., Bel G. The Global E-waste Monitor 2020: Quantities, flows and the circular economy potential. United Nations University (UNU)/United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) – co-hosted SCYCLE Programme, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) & International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), Bonn/Geneva/Rotterdam. The data covers the date range 2015-19.The data specified above was subject to further analysis.Recycling rates per country were calculated by dividing the total weight of e-waste recycled by the total weight of e-waste generated in a given year. Recycling rates specified are from the most recently recorded amount for that country, and might not refer directly to 2019.Data provided in the Global Monitor report was collected annually. For the purposes of the study, and to aid in visualising e-waste amounts, the annual amount of e-waste generated by a country was divided by 12 to estimate a monthly average – actual monthly e-waste generation may vary.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/blog/2018/big-screens-big-data-the-future-for-smartphones/thenextweb.com/plugged/2020/08/20/weight-most-popular-phones-of-2019-chart-apple-samsung-analysisglobalewaste.org