Record Amount of E-Waste Generated Globally in 2014, Report Finds

A new report reminds us that there is a dark side to the meeting of the digital and the environmental.

A record amount of electronic waste was discarded in 2014, with a total of 41.8 million tons of personal electronics and household appliances hitting landfills worldwide, a new report from the United Nations University found. The highest per-capita totals of so-called “e-waste” came from Scandinavian and European countries — Norway topped the list, followed by Switzerland, Iceland, and Denmark — and China and the U.S. were responsible for the largest volumes overall. Nearly 60 percent of e-waste by weight came from electronic components and wiring in large and small kitchen, bathroom, and laundry appliances, and 7 percent was discarded mobile phones, calculators, personal computers, and printers, the report said.

Source: Record Amount of E-Waste Generated Globally in 2014, Report Finds