Section 6 of 7
Mobile phones and their batteries are one of the fastest growing categories of e-waste. Let’s see what happens when you dispose of your phone.
What would make you want to upgrade and get rid of your current mobile phone?
What do you do with an electronic device when you want to get rid of it?
Where do you think that device will end up?
E-waste means any electronic device that has been disposed of. This includes mobile phones and their batteries.
Globally, we create over 50 million tonnes of e-waste every year. Gather information from the infographic to the right.
What does this data make you think of? What does it make you wonder?
A United Nations study reported that about 50 million tonnes of e-waste were discarded in 2018. In 30 years, it is expected to more than double.
That means that 80% of e-waste is disposed of in a way that can’t be properly recycled, like being placed in the trash. This has serious consequences.
This map shows where the most e-waste is being generated and where it ends up around the world. Click on a country to see where e-waste is coming from and where it goes.