Vital Waste Graphics 3

world production of plastics and their growing share in municipal waste. 3 As for end-of-life electrical and elec- tronic products, e-waste already con- stituted an estimated 8 per cent of municipal waste in 2005. With plastic as its second largest constituent, e- waste certainly contributes to the rise in plastic waste. 4 Both types of waste share a similar problematic symbiosis with hazardous substances (see page 27 for details on potential health im- pacts of e-waste). As for all hazardous waste, the prob- lem was initially seen mainly as an is- sue of exports by developed countries. In fact the situation is much more

complex, and developed countries cannot solve the problem by them- selves. Plastics are massively produced all over the world; and the volume of obsolete personal computers or mo- bile phones generated in developing countries has already exceeded – or soon will – that of developed coun- tries. All countries are thus concerned by the issue of hazardous wastes, espe- cially when heavy industry and natu- ral resources extraction are among the leading economic sectors. Indeed, high levels of consumption do pro- duce more waste, but other stages of the product life cycle contribute signif- icantly to the overall hazardous waste heap (production waste, mining waste / see Vital Waste Graphics 1 and 2).

Estimated number of obsolete computers Million units

700

Developing countries

600

500

Range

Baseline

400

300

200

Developed countries

From about 2016 onwards there will probably be more obsolete PCs in the developing world.

100

PROJECTION

0

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

2030

Forecasting generation of obsolete computers Source: Yu et al., Forecasting Global Generation of Obsolete Personal Computers , Environmental Science & Technology, 2010.

Obsolete electronics in the United States Million units 200

Mobile phone subscribers Share of World total

100%

180

90

OECD countries

Computers and related devices

160

80

140

70

Televisions

120

60

Mobile phones

100

50

80

40

Since 2003 there have been more mobile- phone subscribers in the developing world.

60

30

40

20

Non-OECD countries

20

10

Source: Electronics Waste Management In the United States, Approach 1 , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Solid Waste and Eastern Research Group, 2008. 0 1996 1994 1992 1990 1988 1986 1984 1982 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 0

Source: OECD Factbook 2010.

VITAL WASTE GRAPHICS 3 9