In this article, we will be analyzing e-waste, its hidden value, and the companies efficiently managing this kind of waste. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Countries That Produce the Most E-waste in the World.
What is E-Waste?
E-waste, also known as electronic or electric waste, refers to any obsolete or discarded electronic equipment. The equipment which has been used and is ready to be sold, reused, recycled or disposed of is also considered electronic waste.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency has categorized e-waste into different categories of electronics such as large household appliances, small household appliances, IT equipment, consumer electronics, lamps and luminaires, toys, tools, automatic dispensers, monitoring and control devices, and medical devices.
The modern digital era is contributing a lot to one of the fastest-growing waste streams, electronic waste. The United Nations Global E-Waste Monitor 2020 reported that the global e-waste would reach 74.7 million metric tonnes by 2030. Since these numbers are high, the ability to recycle or simply dispose of this waste becomes limited. Hence, most of it ends up in landfills, polluting the environment.
The ‘Valuable’ E-Waste
According to a report by Research And Markets, the global market for electronics recycling was valued at $39.8 billion in 2022 and it is expected to grow to $110.6 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 13.6% over the forecast period.
Although e-waste is growing more than plastic or textile waste, there is a lot of value hidden in this waste. The raw materials inside electronic equipment can be worth billions. These raw materials include platinum, tin, iron, gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. Due to the high cost of metal production for the first time and the opportunity to re-explore valuable metals inside used devices, there has been a demand for e-waste.
On June 23, the Boston Consulting Group reported that the United States loses almost $10 billion annually in e-waste, unaccounted for. Companies can get a ‘green premium’ from the recycling of their customer-used products. This green premium is the additional cost and willingness of the customer to invest in an environmentally sustainable product. BCG further investigated that almost 80% of Gen Z consumers consider sustainability as a key factor before making any purchase. Thus, promoting a waste reduction initiative can help acquire and retain masses of customers.
The value stored in e-waste can also be recovered by being more environmentally responsible. The emissions released from the recycling of used equipment are still lower than those that arise during the primary extraction of metals. Thus, the carbon footprint in recycled e-waste is less.
Companies Unlocking E-Waste's Potential
Companies such as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL), and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), continue to unlock e-waste's potential by efficiently engaging in waste management in the electronics market.
One wise way of dealing with e-waste is to make electronic products uniform so there are not many electronic wastes of different kinds. As in the case of the EU, almost 11,000 tonnes of disused chargers are thrown away annually.
Back in April 2022, Reuters reported that in an attempt to reduce e-waste, the European Union has agreed to shift to one kind of charger for smartphones, the USB C-type. The EU has predicted that this regulation is also going to cut almost 200 kilograms of their carbon emissions. Since this regulation needs to be imposed by 2024, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has been in a fix. On July 30, Bloomberg reported a major update in the upcoming iPhone 15, which will be the lightning connector replaced with the USB C type, thereby complying with the EU rule.
Recycling and bringing the used product back into the tech supply chain is another way to benefit from heaps of e-waste. Corporations have been actively participating in recycling initiatives. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has also been selling products such as Amazon Echo, Fire TV, and tablets which are made from recycled plastic and aluminum. The company’s customer service portal reports that customers could either trade in their used product for its gift card value including a discount on a new Amazon item, or simply deliver it to the allocated recycling destination for free. On August 22, the US based news provider on waste and recycling, Waste360, reported that the company will be opening a new e-waste recycling facility in Pennsylvania in 2024. This facility will be refurbishing and recycling electronic equipment used in data centers for the company, thereby reducing e-waste.
In the Environmental, Social and Governance report for 2023, Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL) reported that it has pledged to create products that are more than half recyclable. The company has also committed to introducing packaging that is renewable and can be recycled.
E-waste prevails in the automobile industry as well. The black mass obtained from the recycling of used electric car batteries is gaining popularity since it helps extract metals such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium. On August 28, Bloomberg reported that the Swiss mining company Glencore plc (LSE:GLEN) has partnered with the Canadian recycling firm Li-Cycle Holding Corp. (NYSE:LICY) to build a European battery recycling plant. Thus, companies are also converting recycled electric car batteries into a lucrative market.
China’s Import of US E-Waste
According to a report by the World Economic Forum, only 20% of electronic waste is recycled in developed countries while 80% of it ends up being dismantled in developing countries. The United States is one of the biggest producers of e-waste. Most of this electronic waste flows through illegal channels to China due to the ban on the trade of e-waste by the United Nations, from developed countries to the developing world.
The United States ships large volumes of used electronics to the Chinese market. In order to avoid empty shipments, US shippers often allow e-waste recyclers to ship the waste to China at relatively low rates. The Chinese recycling of these imported electronics is a large informal business in China. Although the Chinese government is putting regulations regarding bans on imported electronic waste, there are still many loopholes. Hong Kong, which is not very exposed to regulations, imports large amounts of used electronics and resells them to these informal recyclers in China.
Although the Chinese recycling market for electronics provides for many rural and poor laborers, it exposes them to many hazards. Since the dismantling process is done manually, the workers get exposed to toxic materials such as mercury, lead, and arsenic. They might even develop respiratory diseases if exposed to these toxic substances for a long period. In short, China continues to strike a balance between earning from the informal recycling market and the environmental degradation that it causes.
Now that we have taken a look at e-waste and its dynamics, we can move to the list of the 15 countries that produce the most e-waste in the world.
15 Countries That Produce the Most E-waste in the World
Methodology
In order to create a list of the 15 countries that produce the most e-waste in the world, we sourced data from the Global E-Waste Monitor 2020. This report provides comprehensive country-wise statistics regarding the e-waste produced, collected, or recycled. It also reports whether the national e-waste legislation is in place for each country. The recent data available on the Global E-Waste Monitor was from 2019. Hence, we used e-waste production as our metric, expressed in kilograms per capita. For countries having the same e-waste production level, we preferred the one with the higher population. Finally, we compiled the top 15 countries with the highest e-waste productions in ascending order of their e-waste production in kilograms per capita, as follows:
15. Singapore
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 19.9
Singapore produces a massive amount of electronic waste. Due to the increasing spending power and the emergence of new technologies, the country tends to dump a significant amount of electronics annually. In 2019, the country produced 19.9 kilograms per capita of e-waste, making it to the list of 15 countries that produce e-waste the most.
14. Sweden
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 20.1
Sweden is among the top e-waste producing countries. Although the country has a recycling system in place, the increased use of electronics, especially those with shorter life spans, add to the e-waste stream. It produced 20.1 kilograms per capita of electronic waste in 2019.
13. Hong Kong
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 20.2
A large amount of electronic waste is also produced by Hong Kong. People in the country have a strong desire for mobile phones which end up in landfills. In 2019, the country produced 20.2 kilograms per capita of e-waste thereby becoming one of the 15 countries that produce e-waste the most.
Companies that are committed to corporate social responsibility initiatives such as e-waste management include Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL), and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).
12. Canada
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 20.2
Canada is one of the 15 countries that produce the most e-waste. With frequent updates in gadgets among Canadians, the e-waste has significantly increased over the years. In 2019, the country produced 20.2 kilograms per capita of electronic waste.
11. Belgium
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 20.4
Another dominant name in e-waste production among all countries is Belgium. Many e-waste recycling companies operate in Belgium to keep e-waste production levels low. The country produced 20.4 kilograms per capita of electronic waste in 2019.
10. Japan
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 20.4
Japan is another top producer of e-waste among other countries. Japan has one of the highest e-waste production in Asia and is also a major e-waste exporter. In 2019, the country produced 20.4 kilograms per capita of electronic waste.
9. France
E-waste Production in Tonnes: 21.0
France is one of the global producers of electronic waste in the world. Laptops, smartphones, tablets, and other electronics contribute to the e-waste stream in the country. In 2019, the country produced 21 kilograms per capita of e-waste.
8. The United States
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 21.0
Another leading producer of e-waste in the world is the United States. The country even exports these rapidly growing used electronics to other countries. In 2019, the country produced 21 kilograms per capita of electronic waste.
Companies playing a major role in managing e-waste include Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL), and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN).
7. Iceland
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 18.7
Another country that produces e-waste the most is Iceland. Electronic waste keeps on rising however it is being tried to be managed by Iceland’s waste management system. Iceland produced 18.7 kilograms per capita of electronic waste in 2019.
6. Netherlands
E-waste Production in Kilograms Per Capita: 21.6
The Netherlands is another European country that is also one of the top e-waste producers in the world. Although the Netherlands has a reasonable recycling rate, it still accumulates massive e-waste every year. In 2019, the country produced 21.6 kilograms of electronic waste.
