Where electronic waste goes: Spain 'lost' 540 million kilos in 2022

This means that kilos of lead, nickel, cadmium, cobalt, tin, and aluminum end up in the trash for years. “They are a danger to health and the environment,” warn the authors of the barometer. “These wastes contain toxic additives or dangerous substances such as mercury, which can damage the human brain and coordination system,” they add.

Although the most worrying thing is not that they accumulate in landfills, but that many tons are lost track of. In the case of Spain, according to this report, almost 540 million kilos of this waste 'disappeared', 57.7% of the total electronic waste generated in the country last 2022. «In January 2023, a group “organized crime was caught trafficking more than 5 million kg (331 containers) of electronic waste from the Canary Islands to Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria and Senegal,” recall the authors of the investigation.

But this practice is not exclusive to Spain, but is a very common practice in practically all countries. Annually, 5.1 billion kilos of broken cell phones, damaged refrigerators or televisions in poor condition travel hundreds of thousands of kilometers. “Of that total, 65% are uncontrolled shipments,” they denounce. Although we know where they end up: Africa.

Specifically, they are known to pile up in Durban (South Africa), Bizerte (Tunisia), and Lagos (Nigeria). “They have been identified as important ports of entry,” the report denounces. “The import of this electronic waste to Africa is being monitored, but it is difficult to control,” they add. But the capital of this garbage is the Agbogbloshie landfill located in Accra, the capital of Ghana. There tens of thousands of Ghanaians seek to make a living by 'mining' metals and minerals that return from rich countries.

The guts of this waste have, according to the E-waste Monitor, a value of 91,000 million dollars divided into millions of kilos of gold, silver, palladium…

An attempt to make a living that comes with many dangers. The postcard in any of these enclaves is identical: a thick black smoke that proliferates from the bonfires lit to burn waste and in the background children and adolescents among waste. “Unmanaged electronic waste has a direct impact on the environment and people's health.” Currently, each year 58,000 kg of mercury and 45 million kilos of plastics containing flame retardants are released into the environment,” this research warns.

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The composition of electronic waste varies depending on the type of equipment, but the main materials are metals and plastics: 31,000 million kilograms of the former and 17,000 million kilograms of the latter. To them we must add 14,000 million more of other materials that are made up of alloys. “The improper handling of this electronic waste also implies a considerable loss of raw materials that, on the other hand, are scarce and of great value,” highlights the ITU and Unitar research.

In fact, better management of electronic waste, beyond not causing harm to the health of tens of thousands of people and not having a significant impact on the environment, could also generate a global net benefit of $38 billion. .

A future problem

Electronic devices and electrical equipment define modern life: from washing machines and vacuum cleaners to smartphones and computers, it's hard to imagine life without them.

Equipment category

electronic

Temperature exchange

Refrigerators, heat pumps and air conditioners

Screens and monitors

Monitors, laptops, tablets and televisions

Large teams

Ceramic hobs, dishwashers, washing machines and solar panels

small team

Toasters, ovens, microwaves, electronic cigarettes and electronic toys

Lamps

Fluorescents and LEDs

Information technology equipment

Smartphones, routers, GPS

Equipment category

electronic

Temperature exchange

Refrigerators, heat pumps and air conditioners

Screens and monitors

Monitors, laptops, tablets and televisions

Large teams

Ceramic hobs, dishwashers, washing machines and solar panels

small team

Toasters, ovens, microwaves, electronic cigarettes and electronic toys

Lamps

Fluorescents and LEDs

Information technology equipment

Smartphones, routers, GPS

Equipment Category

electronic

Temperature exchange

Refrigerators, heat pumps and air conditioners

Screens and monitors

Monitors, laptops, tablets and televisions

Large teams

Ceramic hobs, dishwashers, washing machines and solar panels

small team

Toasters, ovens, microwaves, electronic cigarettes and electronic toys

Lamps

Fluorescents and LEDs

Information technology equipment

Smartphones, routers, GPS

Electronic equipment category

Temperature exchange

Refrigerators, heat pumps and air conditioners

Screens and monitors

Monitors, laptops, tablets and televisions

Large teams

Ceramic hobs, dishwashers, washing machines and solar panels

small team

Toasters, ovens, microwaves, electronic cigarettes and electronic toys

Lamps

Fluorescents and LEDs

Information technology equipment

Smartphones, routers, GPS

However, they have become a real obstacle for countries to comply with their climate and, in some cases, legal obligations. In 2021, according to the latest data available in Eurostat, 13.5 million tons of mobile phones, tablets, dishwashers, washing machines, and ceramic hobs were put on sale in the community market. Almost double what was sold in 2012. «A huge amount of electronic waste is generated around the world, from discarded televisions to discarded phones. The latest research shows that the global challenge posed by e-waste will only grow,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Office.

Globally, annual e-waste generation is increasing by 2.6 million tonnes a year, and is on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030, a further 33% increase on the 2022 figure. Currently, so much electronic waste is generated as to fill 1.55 million trucks with the capacity to transport 40 tons. “The problem is serious,” reveal the authors of the E-waste monitor.

And it is because the research predicts a drop in the documented collection and recycling rate from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% in 2030. Challenges contributing to this widening gap include technological progress, increased consumption, options limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, the increasing electrification of society, design deficiencies and inadequate e-waste management infrastructure.

At the beginning of March, the European Council adopted amendments to the EU legal act on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). These modifications aim to harmonize the WEEE Directive and adapt it to new technologies that appear on the markets such as photovoltaic panels.

Currently, just over 600 kilos of waste are generated from solar panels, but the recovery figure for the materials that make them up is still insignificant. Although they are completely recyclable, the industry itself assures, thanks to its composition, which is a combination of glass (78%), aluminum (10%), plastics (7%) and other metals such as silver (0.05%). ) or copper.

For this reason, Brussels has approved these modifications so that the producers of these technologies are responsible for the costs of managing and eliminating this waste. “Amid the hopeful adoption of solar panels and electronic equipment to combat the climate crisis and drive digital progress, the increase in e-waste requires urgent attention,” warns Nikhil Seth, CEO of Unitar.