Negative externalities: The growing mountain of electronic waste
A new report from the United Nations highlights the enormous environmental impact of the fast-growing mountain of discarded electronic waste - a negative externality from consumption.

According to their latest Global E-waste Monitor, humanity generated 44.7 million metric tons of e-waste in 2016, which is equivalent to 6.1 kilograms per person. In Britain, we throw away an average of 25kg of equipment each year with a recycling rate of less than fifty percent. The UK Government wants to reach a recycling target of 65% within the next two years.
The world's annual stockpile of electronic waste is about the same weight as 4,500 Eiffel Towers.
Globally, electronic waste contains $55bn of recoverable materials – yet only 1/5 is currently recycled.
Which policies might be most effective in controlling and reducing electronic waste? End of Life regulations for disposing of waste electronic products are already in place but perhaps a wider range of behavioural nudges are needed to remind people of the consequences of their actions. 2017 seemed to be the year when public tolerance for plastic pollution reached a tipping point - might 2018 be a similar year for our attitudes to electronic waste?
Discarded laptops, mobile phones and electronic goods are now the world's fastest growing waste problem, the UN has warned https://t.co/wWLFfuRAf0
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 24, 2017
In 2016, discarded cellphones and other electronic waste contained $55 billion worth of gold, silver and other high value recoverable materials, says @UN report. https://t.co/Yl4f08p4ru pic.twitter.com/iQFLIrhJIZ
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) December 14, 2017
#electronicwaste and harmful #chemicals are harming workers in production and waste dumps, some brands are worse than others see Greenpeace report @WEPNija @BaliFokus @brsmeas https://t.co/xUGXjMIi1W pic.twitter.com/1u8d4gKmAC
— WECF international (@WECF_INT) December 23, 2017
Why we need to open our eyes to electronic-waste https://t.co/s1HbrtSe8c pic.twitter.com/WjbvkA851a
— World Economic Forum (@Davos) December 18, 2017
Thursday briefing: Only 20 per cent of the world's electronic waste is recycled https://t.co/J9dyUjj2Q7 pic.twitter.com/j8xk8XVLyw
— WIRED UK (@WiredUK) December 14, 2017
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