The issue.
Every upgrade, every discarded phone, every forgotten charger adds up to a crisis we can no longer ignore. Electronic waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world, and its impact stretches far beyond the devices in our hands.
E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, and it’s growing at a rate our recycling systems can’t keep up with. Behind every broken phone, old TV, or discarded laptop lies a toxic trail that impacts people, ecosystems, and economies worldwide.
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In 2022, the world produced a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste, yet less than 25% was properly recycled. The rest is often dumped, burned, or shipped to developing nations where it contaminates soil, water, and food with heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium. E-waste now makes up 70% of the world’s toxic waste stream, despite being only a small fraction of global landfill.
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The tragedy is that so much of this waste could be avoided. Inside every discarded device are valuable materials - gold, copper, rare earth elements - worth more than US $62 billion in 2022 alone. Instead of being recovered, these resources are lost to landfill, while new mining continues to deplete the planet.
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And the problem is only accelerating. By 2030, global e-waste is expected to reach 82 million tonnes, the equivalent of almost 16 kilograms for every person on Earth. Without urgent action, this cycle of waste, pollution, and loss will continue to spiral out of control.