For 2021, according to what was reported by WEE forum, each of us will dispose of or recycle an average of 7,6 kg of telephones, computers, toasters and other electrical or electronic devices. The report continues that worldwide there will be 57,4 million tons of electronic waste, an accumulation that exceeds the weight of the largest artificial object built by humanity: the great Wall of China.
In recent times it has been revealed that the global production of electrical and electronic waste is growing by two million tons each year, or around 3 to 4%. The problem is attributed to higher consumption rates, products with shorter life cycles and limited repair possibilities.
Based on the European continent, 11 out of 72 existing electronic items, on average, in a household are no longer used or damaged. In addition, each citizen would accumulate annually from 4 to 5 kg of devices that they do not use.
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On the other hand, in the United States of America, where many mobile phones are recycled, it is estimated that at least 151 million phones a year (or about 416.000 a day) are thrown away and end up incinerated or in landfills. Forty percent of heavy metals in US landfills will come from electronic waste.
These alarming data were shared during the International Day of Electronic Waste, promoted by the WEEE Forum, which also indicated that repairing or recycling this type of device would reduce the need to extract new resources such as gold or copper, also saving many carbon dioxide emissions. compared to the mining of virgin metals.
To give you an idea, in a million mobile phones there are 24 kg of gold, 16.000 kg of copper, 350 kg of silver and 14 kg of palladium, resources that could be recovered and returned to the production cycle.
