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What is this “invisible” electronic waste that is worth a fortune?

Teilor Stone

ByTeilor Stone

Oct 12, 2023
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What is this “invisible” electronic waste that is worth a fortune? /></p> <p> © Maurad/Kom1Pro </p> <p>Last year, on the occasion of International E-Waste Day, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum pointed out the electronic waste generated by our old smartphones, when they are not recycled. And this year, the forum is publishing a new study which, this time, denounces the waste of natural resources caused by electronic waste which it describes as invisible. This waste, if recycled, would nevertheless make it possible to recover the equivalent of almost 10 billion dollars in raw materials.</p> <h2>But what is “invisible” electronic waste? </h2> <p>According to the explanations of Pascal Leroy, Director General of the forum, this is electronic waste which goes <em>“unnoticed due to its nature or its appearance, which leads consumers to neglect its recyclable potential”</em>. In total, this is a sixth of the total electronic waste that would fall into this category, or 9 billion kilograms per year.</p> <p>These include cables, toys, electronic cigarettes, smoke detectors, USB keys, etc. Toys alone, for example, represent 35% of this invisible waste, or 3.2 billion kilograms. The report also mentions 844 million electronic cigarettes which become waste each year.</p> <h2>Valuable raw materials wasted</h2> <p>This electronic waste, which is either thrown away or kept in cabinets, nevertheless contains raw materials that could be recycled. According to the WEEE Forum, the value of raw materials that could be recovered from electronic waste in 2019 is estimated at $57 billion. And from this, we can estimate that the value of raw materials recoverable from “invisible” electronic waste (1/6) is $9.5 billion.</p> <p>For example, electronic device batteries contain critical materials that could be reused to create new batteries. And according to the forum's report, the 950 million kilograms of cables that become waste contain enough copper to create cables that would circle the Earth 107 times. In other words, it is waste that is sometimes ignored but which nevertheless contains important resources.</p> <p><em>“Unfortunately, invisible e-waste often falls under the recycling radar of those who dispose of it because it is not considered e-waste. We need to change this and awareness is a big part of the answer”</em>, explains Magdalena Charytanowicz, communications manager of the WEEE Forum.</p> <h2>The good example of the EU? </h2> <p>The report also mentions the good example of the European Union and its legislative framework, thanks to which 55% of electronic waste is collected and reported. But despite this progress, Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, the EU must do more.</p> <p><em>“Even if EPR (extended producer responsibility) has raised environmental standards, our journey is not over. We must promote a circular economy for electronics, as for other products, not only to reduce our environmental impact, but also to strengthen the value chain, reducing its dependence on third countries”</em >, he declared on the occasion of International E-Waste Day.</p> <ul class=

  • After denouncing electronic waste generated by smartphones, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum points out waste that it describes as invisible
  • This is waste like toys, electronic cigarettes, cables or USB sticks that people do not sometimes not considered recyclable
  • According to estimates, a year's invisible electronic waste contains $9.5 billion in recyclable raw materials

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    Teilor Stone

    By Teilor Stone

    Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116

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