Newswise — A recent study discovered that the amount of electronic garbage (e-waste) in Canada has increased by more than three times in the past twenty years. This means that in 2020 alone, almost a million tons of electronic waste was produced, which is like filling up the CN tower 110 times.
Scientists from the University of Waterloo have done a study to calculate the total amount of electronic waste (e-waste) in Canada. They looked at everything, from when people buy electronic devices to when they get thrown away. Their research shows that the amount of e-waste produced per person has gone up from 8.3 kg in 2000 to 25.3 kg in 2020. They also predict that the amount of e-waste in Canada will continue to increase in the coming years. This highlights the need for better planning and management of electronic devices as the technology continues to evolve.
Komal Habib, who is a professor in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, thinks that this study can help policymakers. They can use the information to create goals for reducing e-waste and making sure that valuable materials in electronic devices are recycled. By doing this, we can create a second source of important materials, which will reduce the risk of running out of them.
The reason why Canada is producing more and more electronic waste (e-waste) is because people are buying and using more electronic devices, and Canada's population is growing. The study showed that big appliances like refrigerators and washing machines make up a lot of the weight of e-waste, but smaller things like household lighting, toys, sports equipment, and electronic devices like cellphones and laptops make up most of the e-waste in terms of quantity.
The expected increase in electronic waste (e-waste) has both positive and negative effects on the recycling industry. One challenge is that electronics makers are creating lighter and more compact devices, which means there are fewer precious and critical materials in each product. This makes it harder for recyclers to recover these materials. On the other hand, the increasing amount of e-waste can create opportunities for recycling companies to keep operating and may encourage them to develop new methods for recovering materials from electronics.
Komal Habib believes that the results of this study can help many different groups of people. The information can be used by businesses and organizations involved in electronics manufacturing and recycling to find new ways to generate revenue and make use of the materials found in e-waste. For instance, they can explore the possibilities of urban mining, which means finding valuable resources from electronic devices in urban areas. Additionally, this research can help them plan for the future and figure out how to safely handle any hazardous materials found in e-waste.
The study suggests that instead of just focusing on recycling and material recovery, we should also pay more attention to repairing, refurbishing, and extending the life of electronic devices. This will help to reduce the amount of e-waste generated in the first place. In the future, researchers think that it is important to collect data on consumer behavior to get a better understanding of how people manage their electronic devices. This will help to inform more sustainable e-waste management practices in Canada.
The study, A first comprehensive estimate of electronic waste in Canada, appears in the Journal of Hazardous Materials.
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