Cell Phones Contribute to Global E-waste

Alex Kerai Consumer Trends Reporter

Updated 20 October 2022

WhistleOut Fast Facts

1.5 billion smartphones are sold each year, while 5.3 billion will become waste in 2022.
Discarded electronic devices contribute to material shortages and have harmful environmental effects.
Electronic waste harms the environment. The UN is committed to increasing e-waste recycling.
Trade-in programs allow companies to recycle used mobile phones.

With over 6.25 billion smartphone subscribers worldwide and nearly 1.5 billion smartphones sold in 2021, it’s no surprise that there is an electronic waste problem. What is surprising is how bad it is.

Approximately 5.3 billion mobile phones will become waste in 2022, according to the WEEE Forum. This statistic comes after a United Nations report revealed that electrical and electronic equipment generated 53.6 metric tons of e-waste in 2019 (Mobile phones, computers, and GPS devices are all included as electric and electronic equipment.)

Consumption of electronic devices—which increased during COVID-19 lockdowns and work from home—means that there is more electronic waste as consumers upgrade to the newest device.

So far this year, Samsung has released the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4, Apple released the iPhone 14, and Google released the Pixel 7. With tens of millions of people expected to upgrade or purchase a new phone this year, the waste of discarded phones is only going to get larger.

Why is e-waste harmful?

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), also known as e-waste, is one of the most complex and harmful waste streams produced. The International Telecommunications Union reports that it harms “both human health and the environment.”

In addition to the harmful effects of e-waste, many electronic materials—like mobile phones—include precious metals. Rare earth elements are also used in phone batteries and screen displays, and there are finite amounts of these elements.

The exhaustion of resources and the harmful effects of e-waste means that discarded electronic devices contribute to material shortages and damage of our environment.

It would help if people and companies recycled their unwanted devices. However, in 2019, it was estimated that only 15% of e-waste in the U.S. was recycled—out of 7 million total tons.

Companies offer recycling programs

The International Telecommunications Union with the UN is committed to increasing the global e-waste recycling rate to 30% by 2023. To do that, consumers and companies will need to step up.

Apple, for example, already offers a trade-in program where the company will recycle the phone for free. And in California, the Cell Phone Recycling Act of 2004 requires retailers who sell mobile phones to take them back from customers.

However, there are valid questions about how phones are recycled and the incentives for recycling. iPhone users who have gotten the most out of their phone (like owners of the iPhone 7 and older) only get up to $40 with their next iPhone purchase, while iPhone 13 Pro Max owners (who bought their phone last year) get up to $720.

When you’re ready for a new phone, there are options for donating your old one. We recommend sustainably donating your phone so that it can be reused or recycled. That way, your phone isn’t contributing to global e-waste.

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Alex Kerai

Consumer Trends Reporter

As WhistleOut's Consumer Trends Reporter, Alex keeps up on the latest breaking mobile tech news in the U.S. and Canada, from smartphone development to network shutdowns. His work can be seen on The Penny Hoarder, Business.org, Biz2Credit, and more.

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