An employee throws a laptop waste at WEEE center recycling plant, a collection point where people can deposit old electric equipment in Nairobi on March 20.U.N. agencies have warned that waste from electronics is piling up worldwide while recycling rates remain low and are likely to fall even further.
Metals – including copper, gold and iron – made up half of the 62 million tons, worth a total of some $91 billion, the report said. Plastics accounted for 17 million tons and the remaining 14 million tons include substances like composite materials and glass. About half of all e-waste is generated in Asia, where few countries have laws on e-waste or collection targets, according to the report. Recycling and collection rates top 40% in Europe, where per-capita waste generation is highest: nearly 18 kilograms .
For some, e-waste represents a way to earn cash by rummaging through trash in the developing world to find coveted commodities, despite the health risks. Recycling plants, like Nairobi’s WEEE center, have collection points across Kenya, where people can safely get rid of old electric equipment.