UN Entities, WEF Join Hands in Efforts to Tackle Mounting E-Waste Threat

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster):  Several U.N. entities, supported by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, have joined hands to develop better ways to address the challenge posed by rising e-waste across the world. It called for complete overhaul of the current electronics system. Further, it extended full support to international efforts to tackle e-waste crisis in several countries including Nigeria.

The joint report ‘A New Circular Vision for Electronics – Time for a Global Reboot’ estimated the total electronic and electrical waste discarded by the world at around 50 million tonnes per year. Out of this, only 20% is formally recycled. Majority of the discarded e-waste is processed by the informal sector, which handles them in harmful working conditions.

Most alarmingly, under current circumstances, the global e-waste generation is estimated to surge to 120 million tonnes by 2050. Meantime, the escalating e-waste also presents recycling opportunity worth over 62.5 billion dollars per year, the report said.

The report calls for overhaul of the electronics system in order to successfully address e-waste challenges. It suggests extended use of technologies such as cloud computing and Internet of Things (IoT). Expansion of recycling infrastructure facilities and more efficient technologies to boost material recovery will help the industry handle increased volumes of electronic waste, it noted.

The seven UN entities in the coalition are International Labour Organization (ILO), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UN Institute of Training and Research (UNITAR), UN University (UNU) and Secretariats of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions (BRS).