The world produced a record 53.6 million tons of electronic waste in 2019, the weight of 350 big cruise ships, a UN report said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The report said the e-waste \u2013 discarded products with a battery or plug \u2013 surged 21% over the past five years, predicting that it will reach 74 million tons by 2030, almost a doubling of electronic waste in just 16 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
E-waste, therefore, is the world’s fastest-growing domestic waste stream fueled mainly by higher consumption rates of electric and electronic equipment, short life cycles, and few options for repair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“E-waste is a health and environmental hazard, containing toxic additives or hazardous substances such as mercury, which damages the human brain and coordination system,” said the report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“An estimated 50 tonnes of mercury \u2014 used in monitors, PCBs [printed circuit boards], and fluorescent and energy-saving light sources \u2014 are contained in undocumented flows of e-waste annually.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020 was produced by the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership (GESP), that includes the UN University (UNU), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n