The fourth edition of the #ewasteday took place on 14 October 2021. It was a good occasion for all the stakeholders to remind the great important of this subject. In fact, as reported by Weee Forum 172 organisations from 78 countries registered their activities, with many more joining from around the world. «We are grateful – Weee Forum said – to all organisations sensitive to the issue of effective and circular e-waste for supporting us by promoting sound e-waste collection, repair, reuse or recycling».
According to the UN, in 2021 each person on the planet will produce on average 7.6 kg of e-waste, meaning that a massive 57.4 million tonnes will be generated worldwide. Only 17.4% of this electronic waste containing a mixture of harmful substances and precious materials will be recorded as being properly collected, treated and recycled. Many initiatives are taken to tackle this growing concern, but none of them can be fully effective without the active role and correct education of consumers. This year’s International E-Waste Day will focus on the crucial part each of us has in making circularity a reality for e-products.
«The Coronavirus outbreak – Weee Forum explained – has had a perceptible effect on our use of electronics and digital solutions, with people relying on e-products to keep them connected with work colleagues and in their family and social life. This has not only meant a greater use of technology in the home, it has also lead to an increase in the consumption of e-products. According to a study commissioned by the European Parliament, in European Union the demand for personal computers and tablets rose by 4.6% year-on-year until December 2020. In this context it is even more important to make users aware of the options that exist for their end-of-life equipment».
