How ITU is stemming the e-waste surge with standards, studies and more

With the theme of ‘protecting the planet with standards’, this year’s World Standards Day also falls on International E-Waste Day, which encourages the proper disposal of e-waste and promotes its reuse and recycling worldwide. This year the theme of International E-Waste Day is ‘education’ which aims to encourage a new generation of responsible consumers. This dovetailing of days could not be timelier, as e-waste surges globally – to the tune of 21 per cent in 5 years. In fact, the weight equivalent of 350 Queen-Mary-2-sized cruise ships of it were estimated to have been generated last year: a record 53.6 million metric tonnes (Mt) or 7.3 kilograms for every human on Earth. This year for International E-Waste Day, ITU partnered with the WEEE Forum to prepare a thought paper on the topic of ‘Internet Waste’ that focuses on end of life management of the ICT equipment that supports our increasing connectivity. Calling for collaborative e-waste management across the supply chain for ICT equipment, the paper highlights the drivers of growing connectivity and the e-waste impacts of data centres, mobile network infrastructure and connected devices, and the role of international standards in facilitating responsible e-waste management. Read the Internet Waste thought paper here. An ICT-linked problem ICT infrastructure provides the basis for all the benefits that come with connectivity. As discussed in the paper, all benefits come at a material cost. The growth in data traffic, storage and processing driven by the heightened demand for online services – especially during the COVID-19 pandemic – requires vast ICT infrastructure and material components, which eventually results in the generation of e-waste. The environmental impacts linked to ICTs include higher energy consumption, carbon emissions, raw material scarcity and e-waste. Formally known as waste electrical and electronic equipment or (WEEE), e-waste refers to discarded household or business items that contain circuitry or electrical components with a battery or power supply. Tackling e-waste with ITU standards Standards are critical to the mission of minimizing e-waste globally and to help the ICT sector become more circular. By sharing expert knowledge and building consensus, standards help reduce development time and costs, establish common understanding on key terminologies, and lower barriers to entry for innovators and key stakeholders.

With global e-waste predicted to reach 74 Mt by 2030, ITU standards can help us to ensure that this does not come at the cost of our health and environment.