The United Nations partnership organization, StEP Initiative has created a map of electronic waste around the world. Globally, the amount of electronic waste is steadily growing, with no end or resolution in sight.
Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the used electronic devices in the world when people upgrade, or their machine stops working?
The United Nations partnership organization StEP Initiative has created a map of electronic waste around the world.
Globally, the amount of electronic waste is steadily growing, with no end or resolution in sight.
Data from the study to create the interactive map shows that electronic waste is expected to increase by 33 percent to reach 65 point 4 million tons by the year 2017.
The United States leads the world in e-waste at around 9 point 4 million tons a year, making an average of just under 30 kilograms of electronic waste per person each year.
The US is followed by China, which is producing 7 point 3 million tons annually.
Some electronic waste is being recycled, and some countries are shipping their waste to other parts of the world.
According to another study by the Environmental Protection Agency that looked at how used electronics were handled in 2010, two thirds of the units in the study were recycled or reused and 8 point 5 percent were exported to other countries.
