The Pulse of ITAD: The Growth of Global E-Waste is Not Letting Up

Published On September 03, 2020

Electronic products help improve living standards, but demand is outpacing our capacity to recycle or dispose of them safely. Each year, the total amount of electric and electronic equipment the world uses grows by 2.5 million tons. Phones, radios, toys, laptops – if it has a power or battery supply it’s likely to join a growing mountain of “e-waste” after use. In 2019 alone, the world generated 53.6 million tons of e-waste. That’s about 16 pounds per person and equivalent in weight to 350 cruise ships! By 2030, the global total is likely to swell to 74.7 million tons, almost a doubling of the annual amount of new e-waste in just 16 years. This makes it the world’s fastest growing domestic waste stream, fueled mainly by more people buying electronic products with shorter life cycles and fewer options for repair.

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