Electronic waste is the collective term for products that require electricity or batteries and either no longer work, are unwanted or are too old to meet the owner’s requirements for use and functionality. Examples range from old mobile phones, fax machines, video players, photocopiers and laptops. In the kitchen, you will also find many electronic products such as blenders, microwave ovens, mixers and much more.
Across homes, workplaces and society in general, we find electronic products that will sooner or later become electronic waste.
In 2019 alone, 54 million tonnes of electronics became waste globally. The UN estimates that this figure will rise to 74 million tonnes by 2030. Electronic waste is therefore one of the world’s fastest-growing waste streams. Handling these enormous quantities of end-of-life electronics is a challenge on many levels.
It can be difficult to determine which products are actually covered by the term “electronic waste”. The Danish executive order on electronic waste from the Ministry of Environment includes a non-exhaustive list of products considered electronic waste. Bicycle lights are not mentioned specifically. However, “other lighting or other equipment for spreading or controlling light, with the exception of incandescent bulbs” is included – and a bicycle light also contains electrical components.
Bicycle lights must therefore be sorted as electronic waste, just like electric knives, race tracks, iPads, electric guitars, battery-powered tools and many other products intended for the private or professional market.
Not quite. But they are closely related to electronic waste. The Ministry of Environment states that batteries, cables, circuit boards, LCD screens and a number of other components must be treated separately. Batteries are a special category because they contain several materials that can be recycled. Correct sorting also makes it possible to handle batteries in a way that takes account of flammable and potentially environmentally harmful substances.
It is therefore very important to collect old batteries and hand them in through your local collection scheme or at the recycling centre in containers specifically intended for batteries.
Cables contain copper, which is valuable. This is why some people cut cables off electrical products before they are taken to the recycling centre. But it is very important that cables remain attached to the products. Many washing machines, refrigerators and similar products that are no longer useful to you can be refurbished, taken out of the waste stream and returned to the market. This benefits the environment because it avoids the impact of producing new electronics.
The production phase is generally the part of an electronic product’s lifecycle that causes the largest CO2 emissions. There is every reason to leave the cable on the product.
Yes, in most municipalities you can. You can place your old television by the road together with your end-of-life washing machine and other IT products you want to dispose of. The municipal operators will collect the products and take them to the recycling centre.
However, you should be aware of “grey collectors” – unauthorised collectors who typically drive around in vans looking for valuable items among old waste. At first glance, it may seem like a good idea to let others take over your electronic waste. But there is no control over what happens to the products afterwards. Electronic waste may just as easily end up in nature. Grey collectors are part of the large undocumented waste stream, and this must be reduced.
Electronic waste can contain significant resources if it is treated properly. When we simply discard huge quantities of electronic waste, we also say goodbye to valuable, scarce raw materials and precious metals such as platinum, silver and gold, which are used in electronics such as laptops and mobile phones. These resources can be recovered and used in other products.
The World Economic Forum has estimated that the value of the total amount of electronic waste in 2019 was USD 62.5 billion – more than DKK 390 billion in current value. This is more than the annual gross domestic product of many countries.
Reuse and recycling of electronic waste is highly beneficial for the environment. It prevents large amounts of CO2 emissions when scarce raw materials from electronic waste are reused instead of being extracted through mining. Elretur has developed a CO2 calculator that illustrates how much CO2 is saved when we reuse and recycle instead of producing new products.
In Denmark, producers of electronics are responsible for collecting electronic waste and ensuring that it is reused, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way. It can be complex and inefficient for each producer to handle large volumes of electronic waste individually. This is why most producers choose to join a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) such as Elretur.
The PRO assumes responsibility for collecting and handling electronic waste, so that as much as possible is refurbished and reused or broken down into fragments, allowing the many materials to be separated and used in new products. Some electronic waste can neither be reused nor recycled. It is recovered, incinerated or deposited in an environmentally responsible way by certified operators.
Globally, 43.7 million tonnes of the total 54 million tonnes of electronic waste “disappear”. These enormous quantities of electronic waste are most likely neither reused nor recycled, but end up, for example, in nature or at unauthorised dumping sites. This means the world loses the major environmental and commercial potential of reusing and recycling electronic waste.
Instead, we are forced to extract increasingly scarce resources through mining. For example, extracting one tonne of gold from mining emits around 18,000 tonnes of CO2 and uses 260,000 tonnes of water, according to figures from the European Commission.
The cautious answer is: both yes and no. Electronic products contain substances that may be harmful to our surroundings. Some electronic products contain mercury, a metal and one of the most dangerous toxins we know. Mercury also occurs naturally in the environment, but researchers broadly agree that humans have released far too much of this dangerous metal. According to UN figures, undocumented electronic waste streams cause global emissions of 50 tonnes of mercury.
The UN also estimates that undocumented electronic waste streams globally are responsible for the release of 71,000 tonnes of brominated flame retardants. These are chemicals that electronics manufacturers use, among other things, to prevent computers, televisions and other electrical products from catching fire. If flame retardants are released into nature, they may disrupt hormone balances and cause birth defects.
This sounds dangerous, and it can be dangerous if electronic waste is not disposed of correctly. But if we ensure that electronics are handed in at the right places at the recycling centre – and are not thrown away with residual waste, for example – we can minimise risks and maximise the opportunities to recycle and reuse end-of-life electronics for the benefit of the environment and society.
When you hand in electronic waste at the recycling centre, four things can broadly happen. Let us use an old washing machine as an example.
If the machine can be repaired, it is set aside and collected by professional repair companies that specialise in cleaning, repairing and selling used electronic products. This is reuse, and it is high on the wish list. Reusing old products saves resources and money and protects the environment from hazardous substances and CO2 emissions from the production of new products.
The product is sent to specialised companies that dismantle it into fragments. The metals, plastics and other materials in modern electronic products can then be used again. Although the products start as electronic waste, the fragments may ultimately be recycled into other electronic products, jewellery or other products. The key point is that electronic waste changes status from waste to recyclable components, raw materials and metals.
The parts of electronic waste that cannot be reused or recycled may be incinerated, and the energy from incineration can be used for heating businesses and private homes through district heating systems.
If electronic waste can neither be reused, recycled, recovered for energy nor incinerated, it must be deposited in an environmentally responsible way.
Some people are worried about handing in an old laptop or desktop computer because they fear important personal data may end up in the hands of criminals. But the system is safe. At the recycling centres, certified operators are subject to GDPR and ensure that all data on old computers, mobile phones and other devices is deleted if the products are reused.
Many electronics retailers also offer to take back used computers or mobile phones when you buy a new one. This is also a safe way to dispose of a computer or phone. So clear out old computers and mobile phones from drawers and cupboards and take them to the recycling centre or return them to a retailer. You are not taking a risk – and you are doing the environment a major favour.
When you arrive at the recycling centre with electronic waste, it must be placed in the correct container.
Mobile phones, laptops, remote controls and other electronic waste measuring no more than 50 cm should be placed in “small electronic waste”. Your television, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator and other larger appliances should be placed in “large electronics”. Sorting electronic waste correctly is an important contribution to the environment. It increases the chances that your old electronics can be reused or recycled, saving scarce global resources and reducing the CO2 footprint.