The E-waste – I: The Problem

I’ve worked for a couple of projects on e-waste and e-waste recycling, and I wanted to revise that and see what’s going on in the space, so here is a series of posts about these topics.

In 2022, the world generated 62 million tonnes of electronic waste. Only 22.3% of that waste was properly recycled. By 2030, we’re on track to hit 82 million tonnes annually—while our recycling rate is projected to drop to 20%.¹² The gap between what we’re throwing away and what we’re recovering isn’t just an environmental problem. It’s an economic disaster not even bothering to hide, and yet few pay attention. That 62 million tonnes of waste contains an estimated $62 billion worth of recoverable materials—gold, silver, copper, rare earth metals—currently rotting in landfills or being processed in unsafe conditions.²

EEE
E-waste, according to the European Union’s WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive, is “equipment which is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly”.³ India’s E-Waste Management Rules 2022 define it as “electrical and electronic equipment, whole or in part discarded as waste by the consumer or bulk consumer as well as rejects from manufacturing, refurbishment and repair processes”.⁴ The US Environmental Protection Agency divides e-waste into ten broad categories:⁵​

1. Large household appliances: refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines
2. Small household appliances: toasters, coffee makers, vacuum cleaners
3. IT equipment: computers, laptops, monitors, printers
4. Consumer electronics: televisions, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles
5. Lamps and luminaires: LED bulbs, fluorescent tubes
6. Toys: electronic games, remote-controlled cars
7. Tools: power drills, electric saws
8. Medical devices: blood pressure monitors, glucose meters
9. Monitoring and control instruments: thermostats, smoke detectors
10. Automatic dispensers: vending machines, ATMs

And critically, this includes batteries of all types:⁶

1. Alkaline and zinc-carbon batteries: the everyday AA, AAA batteries we use in remotes and toys​
2. Lithium-Ion batteries (Li-ion): found in smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles—these have high energy density and long life, but are highly reactive and flammable​
3. Lead-acid batteries: used in vehicles and industrial applications—low cost but heavy and toxic
4. Nickel-cadmium batteries (NiCd): known for consistent performance but containing toxic cadmium

Why should we recycle e-waste?
Why not? Electronics contain both valuable materials and dangerous ones, and throwing them away is economically silly and environmentally irresponsible. For one, recovering gold produces 80% less carbon emissions than primary mining.⁷ Recycling lithium-ion batteries instead of mining new metals reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 58-81%, water use by 72-88%, and energy consumption by 77-89%.⁸⁹¹⁰ If we extend the lifespan of existing devices—through repair, reuse, and high-quality refurbishment—we drastically reduce the need to manufacture new ones.

Hazard
Electronic devices are chemical cocktails. Circuit boards, batteries, and screens contain an array of hazardous substances:¹¹¹²¹³

• Lead: damages the nervous system, kidneys, and reproductive system. Particularly harmful to children’s developing brains. Found in cathode ray tubes (those old bulky TVs and monitors) and soldering materials.
• Mercury: a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in the body, causing neurological and developmental issues. Present in flat-screen displays, fluorescent lamps, and some batteries.
• Cadmium: linked to kidney damage, lung cancer, and bone disease. Found in rechargeable NiCd batteries, old CRT screens, and printer drums.
• Chromium (specifically hexavalent chromium): a recognized carcinogen that can cause lung cancer, respiratory issues, and skin irritation. Extremely soluble, so it easily contaminates groundwater.
• Brominated flame retardants: used in plastic components to prevent fires, but they release toxic dioxins when burned or heated. These cause hormonal disorders.​
• Beryllium: found in power supply boxes. Exposure can cause chronic lung disease.

The World Health Organization has identified e-waste as one of the fastest-growing solid waste streams posing serious health risks.¹⁴ When e-waste is dumped in landfills, these toxic materials leach into soil and groundwater. When it’s burned—as happens in much of the informal recycling sector—they’re released into the air as poisonous gases. Studies in communities near informal e-waste recycling sites show elevated rates of respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular problems, neurological disorders, and cancers. Children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.¹⁵¹⁶

Urban Mining
Electronics are concentrated sources of valuable materials—far more concentrated than their natural ore deposits:¹⁷¹⁸¹⁹

• Gold: one tonne of circuit boards contains approximately 350 grams of gold. To put that in perspective, the gold content in circuit boards is 800 times higher than in natural gold ore. Mining one tonne of gold ore might yield just 5 grams of gold; circuit boards yield 350 grams.
• Silver: that same tonne contains about 2 kilograms of silver.
• Copper: 120 kilograms per tonne of circuit boards.
• Other precious metals: aluminum, platinum, cobalt, palladium, rare earth elements.

To make this concrete: recycling one million cell phones can yield approximately 35,000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, and 75 pounds of gold. The total value of recoverable materials from global e-waste in 2022 was estimated at $62 billion.¹⁹ This is what researchers call “urban mining”—recovering valuable materials from discarded electronics rather than extracting them from the earth.²⁰

If e-waste is valuable, dangerous, and growing, why is it still handled so badly? The answer isn’t technology or awareness. It’s incentives—and the policy instrument meant to fix this problem may be quietly making it worse. In the next post, I’ll unpack EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) — the policy tool we’ve pinned our hopes on, and why it’s not delivering what it promises yet.

Sources

1. 50+ E-Waste Statistics 2026
2. Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster Than Documented E-Waste Recycling – UN
3. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Statistics – Eurostat Metadata
4. E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 – Government of India (English)
5. A Study on E-Waste Management (IJCRT25A6202)
6. Types of E-Waste – The Ultimate Guide One Must Know
7. Urban Mining & Metal Recovery – Specialty Metals Recycling
8. Recycling Batteries Helps Recover Critical Metals
9. Advanced Lithium Recovery Technology for a Sustainable Future
10. Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries Cuts Emissions and Strengthens Supply Chain
11. Health Consequences of Exposure to E-Waste
12. Hazardous Substances in E‑Waste
13. E‑Waste and Hazardous Elements (IJISRT24OCT1008)
14. Electronic Waste (E‑Waste) – WHO Fact Sheet
15. The Growing Environmental Risks of E‑Waste
16. Impact of E‑Waste on Human Health and Environment
17. Refining Gold and Copper from E‑Waste
18. Five Reasons Why E‑Waste Recycling Is Important
19. What Is E‑Waste Parts Recovery? Steps, Benefits, and More
20. What Is Urban Mining?