E-waste in East and Southeast Asia has jumped 63 percent in the five years to 2015, with rising incomes pushing the per capita consumption of gadgets, appliances and other products with a cord or battery, according to the latest eWaste Monitor prepared by the United Nations University. The report looked at 12 countries, including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, noting that the increase took place across all areas. At the end of the five years, e-waste totalled 12.3 million tonnes. China alone more than doubled its generation of e-waste (+107%) to 6.7 million tonnes.
Devices, typically powered by a battery or a power supply, are used in all parts of the world and across all strata of society. In 2012, an estimated 56.56 million tonnes of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) were put on the global market. Asia is both the world’s largest manufacturer of and market for EEE, consuming 26.69 million tonnes in 2012 of what was put on the global market, or about half the global amount. In 2014, Asia generated 16 million tonnes of e-waste though the figure is still less than in Europe: 3.7 kg per inhabitant compared to 15.6 kg per inhabitant in Europe.
As Asian countries rapidly industrialise, and their citizens enjoy higher income and living standards, the consumption and disposal of EEE will continue to increase. The report urges a clampdown on improper recycling and disposal to conserve resources, and to avoid serious health and environment threats.
