As mobile manufacturers recycle valuable components like gold, copper, silver, palladium taken from waste devices, experts warn that around 5.3 billion mobiles/smartphones will go out of use this year, most of them in drawers, closets, Wardrobes and garages have disappeared. in homes, or thrown in the garbage can.
According to a new global survey, the average household today includes 74 e-products such as phones, tablets, laptops, electrical appliances, hair dryers, toasters and other appliances (excluding lamps).
Of that 74 average total e-products, 13 are being deposited (9 of them unused but working, 4 broken).
Mobile phones rank fourth among the small products that are often accumulated by consumers, according to the results of surveys conducted to find out, so many home and businesses waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) for repair or recycling. Why fail to bring
The surveys were conducted by members of the WEEE Forum from June to September, 2022 and the results were consolidated by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Sustainable Cycle (SCYCLE) programme.
“We focused on small e-waste items this year because it is too easy for them to go unused and unnoticed in homes, or to be thrown in the ordinary trash. “What people don’t realize is that all these insignificant items have a lot of value, and together on a global scale represent massive amounts of money,” said Pascal Leroy, director general of the WEEE Forum.
Leroy said, “Providing collection boxes at supermarkets, picking up small broken equipment upon delivery of new ones, and offering PO boxes to return small e-waste are some of the initiatives taken to encourage the return of these items.” Initiatives.”
Meanwhile, LED lamps rank at the top of the list of products most likely to be trashed.
The total global stock (in use and accumulated) of mobile phones is about 16 billion.
In 2022 alone, small EEE items such as cell phones, electric toothbrushes, toasters and cameras produced around the world will weigh an estimated total of 24.5 million tons – four times the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
“These small objects make up a significant proportion of 8 percent of all e-waste thrown into the trash can and eventually end up in landfill or incineration,” said Magdalena Charitanowicz of the WEEE Forum, in charge of International E-Waste Day.
“These devices provide many important resources that can be used in the production of new electronic components or other devices, such as wind turbines, electric car batteries or solar panels – all critical to the green, digital transition to low-carbon societies. are,” added Charitanowicz.
UNITAR Executive Director, Nikhil Seth said that UNITAR should consider this new course on e-waste management “as an excellent example of using scientific findings in a practical way for international training and capacity building in areas of critical environmental importance”. proud of.
-IANS
The e-waste post: Over 5.3 billion mobile phones went unusable this year, first appeared on BGR India.
