World's e-waste unsustainable, says UN report citing China, India and US
India is among the top five e-waste generating countries in the world besides China, the US, Japan and Germany, according to a report
A UN-led report released on Thursday found that the world dumped a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste last year. Just 17.4% was recycled.
The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report found that China, with 10.1 million tonnes, was the biggest contributor to e-waste, and the United States was second with 6.9 million tonnes. India, with 3.2 million tonnes, was third. Together these three countries accounted for nearly 38% of the world's e-waste last year.
"Continent wise, it is quite simple, if you go by the total wage and rated per continent, it is definitely Asia, simply because there is also the biggest world population." Ruediger Kuehr, Director of the United Nations University Uni-Vie Scycle and Co-author of the report of e-waste told Reuters.
While the overall damage done to the environment from all the un-recycled waste may be incalculable, the message from the report was conclusive: "The way in which we produce, consume, and dispose of e-waste is unsustainable."
Global warming is just one issue cited by the report as it noted 98 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents were released into the atmosphere as a result of inadequate recycling of "undocumented" refrigerators and air conditioners.
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Influencer killed on livestream: Mexican cartel boss' son asked dad to kill woman who broke up with him
)
Sajeeb Wazed raises Indian security concerns, calls Bangladesh a 'failed state'
)
American blogger Perez Hilton, covered in blood, cuts himself during livestream, hospitalized after distressing incident
)
Strait of Hormuz deal with Oman being ‘finalised’: Iran’s foreign ministry
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Who is Shreya Kalra? Meet the social media star who lifted the Lock Upp 2 trophy
)
Scientists find descendants of ancient sea creatures trapped under Antarctica's Blood Falls
)
'Crass, cheap and deeply derogatory:' Internet slams Udhayanidhi Stalin over his 'double-meaning' remark on Trisha
)
'I was almost trafficked in Paris,' says Australian woman, shares terrifying ordeal - 'I am on the black market'
)
The genetic roots of Tamils: 75,000 DNA markers decoded in latest study of Sangam-era settlement
)
Ghajini villain Pradeep Rawat passes away at 74 after battle with cancer
)
Childhood home of Neil Armstrong up for sale | Gravitas
)
Ceaser Gastelum killed during TikTok livestream: What was his last recording?
)
Nvidia just put $5 billion into a company that has never shipped a product
)
Ex top Pakistan official blames economic woes on China: Here's how CPEC became a failure
)
Munir-protege Mohsin Naqvi’s claim of unearthing huge scam triggers tremors in Pakistan’s power corridors
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russian tanks are much lighter compared to US tanks
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Lock Upp season 2: Most dramatic and viral moments that kept fans hooked
)
Who is Tewolde Gebremariam? Air India appoints former Ethiopian Airlines chief as CEO
)
Donald Trump calls Abdul El-Sayed a 'communist loser', seeks FBI probe into Michigan primary
)
Mark Zuckerberg apologises to Indian government over harmful content, platform errors amid PM video row
)
India avoids higher US tariff, secures lower 10% rate. Here's how
)
Pentagon draws up new nuclear strategy in the event of war with Russia and China
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Pradeep Rawat died at 74: Revisit the unforgettable roles that defined his career
)
What’s happening in Nepal? How did a local clash turn into communal violence? WION Decodes
)
CJP's Saurav Das alleges YouTubers broke into his house, seeks Delhi Police action
)
India's IT giants have lost Rs 15 lakh crore to AI
)
$1.3 trillion vanished from chip stocks in days and demand never fell
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police blocks 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
)
‘Pakistan called for ceasefire, we kept them waiting’: Ex-CDS Anil Chauhan recalls Operation Sindoor
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (August 3-9, 2026): Main Vaapas Aaunga, Uyir, Operation Safed Sagar- 6 titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Did military GPS jamming cause a plane to crash in New Mexico? Here's what a report says
This year's coronavirus lockdowns have exacerbated the e-waste problem.
"This is not yet reflected in the global e-waste…but we can likely expect also an increase due to the COVID crisis because all of us are doing now home work or home schooling." Kuehr said.
What is happening in India and China is symptomatic of a wider problem in developing countries, where demand for goods like washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioners is rising rapidly.
"We found out that in 2019, we produced roughly 54 million tons of e-waste, which is more or less, the weight of 350 cruise ships like the size of Queen Mary 2. It is a huge amount." Antonis Mavropoulos, International Solid Waste Association (ISWS) President told Reuters.
Dinesh Raj Bandela, deputy programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based research and advocacy body, said India's focus on e-waste had to go beyond the collection, and manufacturers should be encouraged to produce consumer goods that last longer and are less toxic.
Although India is the only country in South Asia to draft legislation for e-waste, its collection remains rudimentary.