musicMagpie Blog

Today (14th October 2024) marks International E-Waste Day, an event designed to raise awareness and spark reflection on the impact of e-waste on people and the planet.

What is e-waste?

E-waste is defined as any electrical item with a plug (either attached or a charger) that is nearing the end of its useful life, whether through obsolescence, damage or the owner simply not wanting it anymore. The item is usually discarded, donated or recycled.

As most electrical items contain harmful chemicals and materials, throwing e-waste away is bad for both the planet and people. The aforementioned chemicals seep into land, air and soil when disposed in landfill, damaging the local and global environment. It also means we lose access to precious resources, which have to be replaced through energy-intensive mining.

How bad is the e-waste problem?

Every few years, the UN releases a report detailing the scale of the e-waste problem. The latest was released in 2024 and, unfortunately, it doesn’t make for good reading:

• In 2022, a record 62 billion kg of e-waste was generated globally (an average of 7.8 kg per capita). Just 22.3% of this e-waste was documented as formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner.
• In just 12 years (2010 – 2022), the amount of e-waste generated per year worldwide almost doubled.
• The UK generated 1.7 billion kg of e-waste alone in 2022.
• 14 billion kg of e-waste is estimated to be disposed of as residual waste, the majority of which is sent to landfill. 18 billion kg is estimated to be handled in low-to-lower-middle income countries with no formal e-waste management structure.
• 58,000 kg of mercury and 45 kg of plastics containing brominated flame retardants are released into the environment every year as a result of e-waste going to landfill. This directly and severely impacts the environment and people’s health.
• Small IT and telecommunication equipment, which includes laptops and mobile phones, account for 5 billion kg of generated e-waste – only 22% is documented as formally collected and recycled.
• It’s projected that 82 billion kg of e-waste will be generated in 2030. If current rates of recycling persist, only 20% (15 billion kg) of that e-waste will be formally collected and recycled.

With shorter product lifespans, limited repair options and increasing demand for tech items, the rate at which we buy electronics will only grow. So what can we do to lessen the impact of e-waste?

What can you do about e-waste?

The simplest answer is don’t throw your electrical items away. Throwing unwanted items in the bin is the single most harmful action you can take, and there are plenty of alternative options. Plus, most electrical items still have some value even if they’re old – so you’re throwing money away too!

With so much demand for tech items, you can easily sell mobile phones, games consoles, tablets and other tech items you might have around the home (including with us!). Larger items like fridges, washing machines and other appliances can either be sold on a marketplace or recycled at a local recycling point.

If you’re unsure what to do with your larger electrical items, take a look at the Recycle Your Electricals website. You’ll find loads of info on what to do with your items, as well as locators to help you find your nearest recycling point.

Recycle Your Electricals are also running a campaign encouraging people to recycle cables this International E-Waste Day. Their research found the British public bin or stash away 627 million cables, which is enough to go to the moon and back! The Great Cable Challenge aims to recycle one million cables, which could save up to 5,000kg of copper. Reclaiming copper means it can be re-used for all sorts of applications, including helping to build the wind turbines and solar panels we need to achieve the UK’s 2030 climate goals.

E-waste is one of the biggest challenges facing the environment, but the good news is you can do something about it. Trade in your unwanted tech with musicMagpie, and check out the Recycle Your Electricals website for anything you can’t sell to us!