Global e-waste produced since you opened this page:
Based on figures from the 2020 Global E-Waste Monitor Report, we have taken the amount of e-waste reported generated in 2019 to estimate that in a single month, the world generates approximately 4.5 million metric tons ("tonnes") of e-waste, of which only 17.4% is documented as formally collected and recycled.
The report defines e-waste as discarded electronic products with a battery or plug, such as computers and mobile phones. The amount of e-waste generated 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 this problem is catastrophic to the environment.
If sent to landfills, e-waste can leak harmful chemicals into the soil. If incinerated, fumes release toxic 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.
Decluttr and its UK brand, musicMagpie, have visualized the monthly generation of e-waste worldwide to demonstrate the true scale of the problem and highlight the need for a change in behavior in the way that we buy, use and recycle our tech.
Click on a country within the map to discover the total e-waste we have estimated it generates in a single month and how this equates to the weight of their iconic landmark. You will also uncover how much e-waste is generated 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.
Click on a landmark to uncover how its weight compares to the estimated monthly e-waste generated by the US.
Understanding how much e-waste is generated per capita certainly paints a different picture of the amount of e-waste generated by an entire country.
In a single year, it’s estimated that the average person in the U.S. generates 46lb of e-waste - far exceeding the world’s per capita average of 16lb.
Between 2015 and 2019, e-waste generated by the world has increased by 21% and continues to rise at an alarming rate.
Fueled by factors such as limited awareness, products with short replacement cycles and few options for repair, if we continue on this trajectory, by 2030 the world could be generating approximately 35% more e-waste than it is currently.
Despite this growing environmental issue, our 2021 research at Decluttr* found that, due to a lack of conversation surrounding e-waste, 57% of Americans aren’t aware of how it negatively affects the environment if not recycled correctly, with 2 out of 3 unaware that e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world.
While consumers are taking multiple other measures to ensure they are helping the environment, including regularly recycling other goods (86%), composting (39%) and even shopping zero-plastic (33%), they aren’t taking the same measures when it comes to properly disposing of their tech, indicating the dire need for further education.
In fact, 1 in 3 Americans across the country incorrectly assume that the proper way to dispose of electronics is via their home recycling or garbage can, which may explain why in the past year alone, 83% of Americans have disposed of at least one tech item in their home garbage can or recycling bin.
Tap on the before/after buttons in the top right corner of each image to compare the world's estimated monthly e-waste production with environmental areas most at risk.
Click on the before/after buttons in the top right corner of each image to compare the world's estimated monthly e-waste production with environmental areas most at risk.
This campaign is part of a wider educational initiative by Decluttr and its UK brand, musicMagpie, 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 half a million 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 our sell my phone page. You can also visit our trade in page, where you can trade in iPhones, iPads, Macbooks & more.
You can also buy refurbished phones. This is a great way to get cheap 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.Data provided in the Global Monitor report was collected annually. For the purposes of the study, and to aid in visualizing 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.*This survey was fielded in May 2021 and included 2,033 U.S. adults. A consumer sample was provided by the research firm, Dynata.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