🌱 What role can recycling and urban mining play?
Across the board, “electronics that can no longer be reused or repurposed […] should be managed in formal electronic waste facilities to recover as many raw materials as possible”. Through recycling or urban mining, e-waste can be used as a stockpile to recover metals and minerals. This reduces the need for virgin mining and, if done responsibly, it can reduce pollution and damage to ecosystems.
🌱 Why are upstream solutions important?
So-called “upstream solutions” are essential to solve the problems caused through e-waste. As the “global e-waste production has grown five times faster than formal recycling rates since 2010”, recycling alone cannot be the solution. Through a combination of proper recycling processes and the transition over to a circular economy, it is however possible to mitigate the risks e-waste poses.
🌱 What could circular solutions look like?
Fundamentally, “how electronics are designed, manufactured, recycled and, ultimately, disposed of” needs to change. To transition over to circular economies, we need “[s]olutions that encourage the design of durable products that can be reused, refurbished and recycled”. These solutions must be “profitable [and] innovative [in a] way […] that is valued by consumers and has a reduced environmental impact”. In this context, product design regulations, extended producer responsibility programs, and consumer rights to repair and refurbish their electronics can be useful tools.
🌱 What is the economic potential?
By “extending the lifespan of electronics, reducing demand for newer products and lessening the environmental burden of manufacturing”, it is possible to create a more sustainable technology sector. According to a UN report from 2024, investing in e-waste collection and recycling infrastructure can strengthen the economy, improve human health, and help to protect valuable ecosystems. Globally, this could “generate US$38 billion in annual economic benefits by 2030”.
Read more about the solutions here:
- https://www.eco-business.com/press-releases/as-electronic-waste-surges-countries-look-for-answers/
- https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-ewaste-and-what-can-we-do-about-it.html
- https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2018/08/27/growing-e-waste-problem/