The Impact of E-Waste on the Climate

🌱 What impact does e-waste have on the climate?

In 2015, it was estimated that it “takes 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 48 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor”. In 2019, the Global E-waste Statistics Partnership found that only 17.4% of global e-waste was collected and recycled appropriately. Yet, this collection and recycling alone prevented up to 15 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents from being released. According to the UN, the global “[e]-waste that is not recycled contributes to about 4.25% of the greenhouse emissions”.

🌱 Is the impact growing?

With upwards of 50 million tons of e-waste produced every year, e-waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream. A 2020 study from the University of California Irvine (UCI) “estimate[d] that between 2014 and 2020, embodied GHG emissions from selected e-waste generated from ICT devices increased by 53%, with 580 million metric tons (MMT) of CO2e emitted in 2020”. The researchers stated that “[w]ithout specific interventions” the emissions would “increase to ∼852 MMT of CO2e annually by 2030”.

🌱 Why should e-waste be considered in climate discussions?

According to research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the global transition over to renewable energy only addresses 55% of global emissions. Eliminating waste and pollution by adopting a circular economy would tackle the remaining 45% of emissions. E-waste lays precisely at the intersection of these two. To transition over to renewable energies, we are heavily dependent on minerals found in consumer electronics and e-waste – as well as on minerals that are found in areas that are politically fragile, corrupt, or affected by conflict. Closing the loop by making sure e-waste is recycled and that there is circularity in electronics supply chains is therefore vital. This is particularly pertinent as “the global supply chain of the electronics industry is [currently] among the top eight sectors [together] accounting for more than 50% of the global carbon footprint”.

🌱 What role can e-waste management play in reaching net zero?

According to an estimate from the Belgian consultancy CO2logic, 1.44 tons of CO2 emissions can be avoided “[f]or every ton of e-waste collected and recycled”. The largest CO2 reductions result from not having to produce new virgin materials. According to the UCI researchers, “[i]ncreasing the useful lifespan expectancy of electronic devices by 50%–100% can mitigate up to half of the total GHG emissions” that they cause. To achieve this, the researchers suggest a “coordination of eco-design and source reduction, repair, refurbishment, and reuse”.

The Climate Impact of Waste in General

🌱 What impact does the waste sector (as a whole) have on the climate?

Waste creates carbon and methane emissions. Particularly, organic waste emits large amounts of methane when it decomposes. According to a report from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, which was published in the lead up to COP27, the global waste sector is “the third largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions, whose reduction will deliver rapid benefits through avoided warming”.

🌱 Why should waste be considered in climate discussions?

How waste is managed impacts both global carbon and methane emissions. In the COP27 session titled “It’s Time to Sprint: Targeting Methane Emissions”, John Podesta (Senior Advisor to the U.S. President, Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation) said that: “Better waste management has a profound effect. It has great co-benefits. It really needs to be included in the technical assistance that is being given by the banks – particularly in developing economies”. According to the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, the introduction of better waste management policies (incl. waste separation, recycling, and composting) could reduce the total emissions of the waste sector by over 1.4 billion tonnes. That is equivalent to the annual emissions of 300 million cars – or equivalent to removing all motor vehicles from traffic in the USA for a year.

🌱 What role can waste management play in reaching net zero?

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, “[g]enerating less waste, promoting environmentally-sound waste management, and controlling transboundary movements of hazardous and other waste and its illegal traffic are important means to help countries meet climate commitments”. The report from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives explains that there are three ways in which creating zero waste systems can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For organic waste, landfill methane emissions can be avoided by reducing, collecting, and treating this waste. Moreover, the carbon uptake in soil can be increased by spreading compost or digestate on land. For waste in general, reduction and recycling can reduce upstream emissions (as less natural resources need to be extracted). In line with this, the report recommends building “zero waste goals and policies into climate mitigation and adaptation plans”.