International E-Waste Day
International E-Waste Day is an annual event celebrated on October 14th to raise awareness of the growing problem of electronic waste (e-waste) and to promote the safe and responsible management of e-waste. It was first celebrated in 2018 by the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Forum, a global network of organizations working to reduce e-waste.
The date of October 14th was chosen because it is the deadline for developed countries to comply with the Basel Convention’s Amendment on e-waste. The Basel Convention is an international treaty regulating hazardous waste’s transboundary movement. The Amendment on e-waste aims to prevent the export of e-waste from developed countries to developing countries, where it is often disposed of in an environmentally harmful manner.
International E-Waste Day aims to help reduce this growing problem. In 2019, the world generated 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste. Only 20% of this e-waste was recycled in an environmentally sound manner. The remaining 80% was either landfilled, incinerated, or illegally dumped.
E-waste contains hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. These materials can pollute the environment and harm human health. When e-waste is landfilled, the hazardous materials can leach into the soil and groundwater. When e-waste is incinerated, the hazardous materials can be released into the air. And when e-waste is illegally dumped, it can be burned or buried, releasing hazardous materials into the environment.
International E-Waste Day is an opportunity to raise awareness of the e-waste problem and promote the safe and responsible management of e-waste.
See also: How to Recycle Electronics.
How to celebrate International E-Waste Day:
- Use your electronic products for as long as possible.
- Choose products designed to enable a more circular model that can be repaired, upgraded and refurbished.
- Think about selling or donating your old devices when you no longer use them.
- Make sure your products are being recycled safely and responsibly.
Fun Facts:
- 800 grams of silver, 150 grams of gold and 50 grams of palladium can be extracted from one tonne of printed circuit boards found in many small electronic devices such as cameras, phones and tablets.
- Electronic waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams across the globe.
- E-waste will reach 53.9 million tonnes by 2025 if not recycled properly.
- We generate around 40 million tons of electronic waste every year worldwide.
- E-waste comprises 70% of our overall toxic waste.
- The most common hazardous electronic items include LCD desktop monitors, LCD televisions, Plasma televisions, TVs and computers with Cathode Ray Tubes.
- Recycling 1 million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the energy used by 3600 homes in the US annually.
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