The United Nations revealed that consumers worldwide discard or retain unused electronic devices, containing valuable raw materials essential for the green energy transition, amounting to nearly $10 billion annually. Items such as toys, cables, electronic cigarettes, tools, electric toothbrushes, shavers, headphones, and various household gadgets contain precious metals like lithium, gold, silver, and copper. These metals are in high demand due to their vital role in rapidly expanding green sectors, such as electric vehicle battery production.

The demand for these materials is anticipated to skyrocket, especially in Europe, where copper demand is projected to increase six fold by 2030. This surge is driven by the growing needs of key industries like renewable energy, communications, aerospace, and defence. Despite the significant value of these materials, they are wasted because this "invisible" electronic waste is either discarded without recycling or left unused in homes, according to a report released by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The report states that these ?invisible? e-waste amounts to nine billion kilograms globally every year, with the associated raw materials valued at $9.5 billion, roughly one-sixth of the estimated 2019 total of $57 billion for all e-waste. Magdalena Charytanowicz from the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Forum emphasised that "invisible e-waste" often escapes recycling efforts because people do not recognise these items as e-waste, highlighting the need for increased awareness.

More than a third of this "invisible" waste comes from toys, such as race cars, talking dolls, robots, and drones, resulting in 7.3 billion discarded items annually. The study also found that 950 million kilograms of cables containing recyclable copper were thrown away last year, a quantity sufficient to circle Earth 107 times.

In Europe, 55% of electronic waste is recycled, thanks to manufacturer responsibility programs established since 2005. However, the global average recycling rate drops to just over 17%. In some parts of South America, Asia, and Africa, the recycling rate approaches zero, primarily due to a lack of collection points. Guillaume Duparay of the French non-profit organisation Ecosystem highlighted the uneven recycling rates, attributing them to insufficient consumer awareness and information.

Source: ET Energy World