Chapter 02 · Nature, land & waterWater, Waste & Pollution
E-waste
Definition
E-waste is any discarded electrical or electronic product — devices with a plug or battery — including phones, computers, appliances and screens. The UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (ITU/UNITAR) reports a record 62 million tonnes generated in 2022, up 82 per cent from 2010 and rising five times faster than documented recycling; only 22.3 per cent was formally collected and recycled, squandering an estimated US$62 billion in recoverable resources, while hazardous substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium pose health and environmental risks.
References
definition and headline statistics
resource content and Monitor framing
Overview
What it means
The fastest-growing solid waste stream on Earth, simultaneously a pollution hazard and an urban mine of critical metals.
How it is used
The category is regulated under the EU WEEE Directive, extended-producer-responsibility schemes and the Basel Convention; the Monitor is the reference dataset for policy.
Why it matters
E-waste connects circularity, critical-minerals security and toxic exposure; its trajectory (projected 82 Mt by 2030) makes it a defining waste challenge of the energy transition.