Toxic e-waste in Asia has jumped by 63% over five years

The United Nations University has warned that the toxic pile-up of electronic waste in East and Southeast Asia jumped by around two-thirds between 2010 and 2015.

China alone more than doubled its production of so-called e-waste between 2010 and 2015 to 6.7 million tonnes, an increase of 107%. The quantity of e-waste across the region was outpacing population growth according to the UN’s global think tank and postgraduate teaching organisation.

The increase was attributed to rising incomes and high demand for new appliances across the region. Total waste across the 12 countries analysed was 12.3 million tonnes. Comparatively developed economies are producing the highest average quantity of e-waste per capita. Region-wide that figure was 10 kg in 2015, with Hong Kong highest on 21.7kg, followed by Singapore (19.95kg) and Taiwan (19.13kg). Cambodia (1.10kg), Vietnam (1.34kg) and the Philippines (1.35kg) were at the lower end of the scale.

“For many countries that already lack infrastructure for environmentally sound e-waste management, the increasing volumes are a cause for concern,” said co-author Ruediger Kuehr of UN University.

A report by Kuehr and his colleagues cites four main reasons for the increasing volumes: more gadgets, more consumers, obsolescence and imports. Improper and illegal e-waste dumping was rife in most countries in the region, regardless of local laws, the study concluded.

The worrying approach to handling e-waste across East and Southeast Asia was mainly down to a lack of awareness, incentives and convenience, which are more readily obvious in other parts of the world.

Open burning of e-waste by local recyclers, which can release toxic fumes into the environment, was cause for particular concern. “Open burning and acid bath recycling in the informal sector have serious negative impacts on processers’ occupational health,” warned study co-author Shunichi Honda.

While Japan, South Korea and Taiwan were broadly praised for their approach, the UN study said rigorous e-waste disposal policy and enforcement was essential given Asia’s increasing hunger for the latest gadgetry.

Asia is the largest consumer of electronic equipment worldwide, consuming roughly half of all products in the market (26.69 million tonnes in 2012). While continent-wide waste per capita is still only 3.7kg (compared to 15.6kg in Europe and the Americas), the UN warned that proper waste management was essential as the market continues to grow.

More information: WIRED