ewaste

 The world's unquenchable thirst for electronic devices is generating the fastest-growing waste stream. Some forms are expanding at an exponential rate. The United Nations refers to it as an e-waste tsunami.

While more technological gadgets contribute to the problem, they may also contribute significantly to the solution. A more digital and connected world will help us speed progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing emerging economies with unparalleled prospects.

If ocean plastic pollution was one of the biggest environmental concerns we finally recognized in 2018, the tide of public opinion in 2019 might and should shift to electronic waste. The figures are staggering: 50 million tonnes of e-waste are created each year, and if nothing is done, this figure may more than quadruple to 120 million tonnes by 2050.

It's difficult to imagine even 50 million tonnes, but that's the weight of all the commercial airplanes ever constructed, or 4,500 Eiffel Towers, enough to cover an area the size of Manhattan - and that's only one year's worth of e-waste.

The fact that just 20% of worldwide e-waste gets technically recycled does not improve the problem. Frequently, the remaining 80% is burned or deposited in landfills. Thousands of tonnes also travel the globe to be manually disassembled or burnt by the lowest-paid laborers. This shabby type of urban mining has an impact on residents' health and produces a staggering amount of pollutants.