Report: Less Than 16% of Electronic Waste Recycled or Re-Used

According to a recent report by the United Nations University (UNU), less than 16% of electronics and electronic equipment is recycled. Globally, electronic waste amounted to 41.8 million tonnes in 2014, with the bulk of the waste coming from kitchen, laundry and bathroom equipment (such as stoves, microwaves, and washing machines). This waste represents a massive waste of potential resources, with the report valuing the discarded waste at $52 billion USD in wasted recyclable resources.

Panda Environmental specializes in waste removal solutions for businesses, institutions and organizations, including electronic waste recycling. Click here to contact us today and learn about waste removal solutions for your business.

Breakdown of Discarded Electronic Waste

The UN report breaks down the electronic waste discarded in 2014 into the following categories:

12.8 million tonnes of small equipment (such as vacuum cleaners, microwaves, toasters, electric shavers and video cameras)
11.8 million tonnes of large equipment (including washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, electric stoves, and photovoltaic panels)
7.0 million tonnes of temperature exchange equipment (cooling and freezing equipment)
6.3 million tonnes of screens
3.0 million tonnes of small information/communication technology equipment
1.0 million tonnes of lamps

All of the waste in the above categories could have been recycled in order to extract valuable resources. The estimated amount of resources wasted is listed in the following section.

Usage of Electronic Recycling

The discarded electronic waste contained the following resources according to the report (estimated values):

16,500 kilotons of iron
1,900 kilotons of copper
300 tonnes of gold
"Significant amounts of silver, aluminum, and palladium..."

The combined current value of the above resources is $52 billion USD.

Panda Environmental Waste and Recycling Solutions

Panda Environmental provides professional waste removal solutions that are designed to be efficient and effective waste removal techniques that both add value to the client and help the environment. We offer electronic waste recycling, as well as many other types of recycling and composting methods that are designed to keep waste out of landfills, and reduce the waste removal cost for our clients. Click here to view a full list of our services. Panda operates across Southern Ontario. Our exact service area depends on the type of waste removal.

"We switched over to Panda Environmental Services after several years with another waste management service and are extremely pleased with our decision. The service has proven reliable in delivery of service, the drivers are careful and courteous, the sales and customer personnel keep in touch to ensure we are satisfied in every way! I highly recommend Panda Environmental Services to any business!"

- John

Additional Reading

The following articles provide additional information on recycling benefits and economics:

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