With consumers encouraged to upgrade their
smartphones on a near-annual basis and the
throwaway culture of technology continuing
apace, e-waste is fast-becoming one of the key
environmental concerns. Less than 40% of our
phones, tablets, and laptops are recycled, with
the rest destined for landfill. The key to change
lies with us - and our technology giants.
THE RISE OF E-WASTE
Though e-waste has been a concern for a
number of years, it’s only in the past decade
that consumers have adopted technology in
such a way that is causing catastrophic damage
to our environment. According to one recent
study, the average home now contains 19
devices, with IoT technologies such as smart
speakers ballooning that figure. Data out of
Europe suggests just 40% of e-waste in the
European Union is recycled, with practices
varying depending on the territory. In Croatia,
for example, 81% of all tech is recycled,
whereas, in Malta, it’s just 21%. The data is
even more concerning in the United States.
Although the US produces more than 6 million
tons of the world’s electronic waste every year,
less than 20% of it is recycled, with the vast
majority headed to landfills. What is particularly
shocking is that a great deal of “technology
recycling” involves companies shipping their
e-waste to other countries, with usable parts
then repurposed and extracted and the rest
thrown away. The process in itself causes
great harm to the planet; in some nations,
for example, gold is recovered by placing
circuit boards in hydrochloric acid, which
can poison local waterways and affecting