With the advancement of technology and science over the past few decades, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) has turned out to be an imperative part of our daily life. Nonetheless, the consumption, disposal, and production of e-waste have become unsustainable. The total review film consumption of EEE has escalated to 2.5 million tonnes. Devices such as laptops, radios, phones, and toys with batteries and power add to the volume of e-waste after use.
Although the volume is augmenting, the adoption of recycling and collection is very low and hence, the generation of harmful greenhouse gases, and the release of toxic substances during informal recycling are on the rise. It’s not only the developing or the lower economic countries affected by this problem, but the developed countries are also facing the challenges of proper management of these wastes. For many entrepreneurs and individuals, it is now a method of income by recovering important materials from the dumped items. Most of the time, the separation and recycling is carried out informally or rather unscientifically devoid of any safety and health standards. Various associations are considering this matter strongly and urged for an impeccable legal policy and also investment in technology and modern equipment for seamless recycling.
Global Challenges and Scenario
As of now, the recycling rate of e-waste globally is 20-30 percent and the collection rate is 50-60 percent. Globally, 53.6 million metric tons of total e-wastes were produced at the end of 2019. In the same year, China gained the status of the globe’s biggest producer of e-waste, which is around 10 million metric tons. It is then followed by the US, which is around seven million metric tons, claims a report of Statista.