Growing Electronic Waste Problem

Discarded electronics, including mobile phones, now make up the world’s fastest-growing electronic waste problem. United Nations researchers have warned that the issue needs urgent attention.

A report from the United Nations University (UNU) found that the volume of electronic waste rose by eight per cent in just two years. However, only around 20% of it was recycled. The rest ended up in landfill, was incinerated or remained unused in people’s homes.

In 2016 alone, the world generated 43 million tonnes of electronic waste. That is roughly the same weight as almost nine Great Pyramids of Giza or around 4,500 Eiffel Towers.

This level of waste is bad for the planet. It increases the need to produce new devices and ship them around the world, which adds further environmental pressure. In addition, people often throw away valuable metals such as gold, silver and platinum, which are used in microchips, motherboards and other electronics. In fact, it is estimated that more than £40 billion worth of recoverable materials is binned every year.

Electronic Waste in an Increasingly Digital World

Automation, artificial intelligence and greater connectivity are transforming industries and daily life at speed. However, e-waste has become an unfortunate by-product of that shift.

Falling prices for electrical devices have also driven the rise in waste. At the same time, many companies encourage customers to buy newer versions more often. In some cases, older devices also become incompatible with newer software, which shortens their useful life even further.

The average smartphone life cycle in the UK is now under two years. There are also more mobile phone handsets globally, 7.7 billion, than there are people on Earth, 7.4 billion.

Experts foresee a further increase in e-waste of 17% by 2121, with annual waste rising to 51 million tonnes as the digital world continues to expand.

The UN report calls for global efforts to improve the design of electrical and electronic equipment. In particular, it highlights the need to make reuse and recycling easier and to improve the recovery of precious metals.

How MobiCode Can Help Mobile Phone Recycling

MobiCode has created a suite of solutions to support the refurbished mobile phone industry and the recycling of pre-owned devices. Our services support every stage of the device lifecycle, from blacklist checking and data sharing to help prevent fraud and IMEI lookup information, through to unlocking, testing and data erasure.

To find out more, contact MobiCode today.