Canada’s electronic waste has more than tripled in 20 years, study finds

A new study from researchers at the University of Waterloo has found that the amount of electronic waste in Canada has more than tripled in the last 20 years.

Their study, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials suggests that e-waste is “steadily growing” in Canada. The researchers say in 2020, close to a million tonnes of e-waste generated in Canada while less than 20 per cent of them collected and recycled.

According to the authors, this amount of e-waste is equivalent of “filling the CN tower 110 times”.

The researchers say they conducted the study to understand the life-cycle, from sale to disposal, of electronic items in Canada, such as computers, cellphones, toys, refrigerators and washing machines.

According to the study, the amount of e-waste generated per person has increased from 8.3 kilograms in 2000 to 25.3 kg in 2020 and it will continue to increase in the near future.

Researchers believe that the growth of e-waste is attributed to consumer habits, as well as the increases in the number of households increases.

“This study provides useful insights to policymakers for setting up targets for e-waste reduction and recycling to recover valuable resources from e-waste,” Komal Habib, a professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, said in a news release published Monday. “E-waste could also help to create a secondary supply chain of critical materials, reducing the risks of potential supply disruptions.”

The study looked at e-waste of 198 product types from 1971 to 2030 and estimated that e-waste will increase to 1.2 million tonnes by 2030 in Canada.

Globally, the amount of e-waste generated annually is estimated to be 2.5 million metric tonnes and will increase up to 74.7 million metric tonnes by 3030, according to the study.

Researchers suggest that more attention should be given to improving repair, refurbishment, and product life extension opportunities rather than focusing solely on recycling and material recovery.

“The findings will be beneficial for stakeholders to explore possible material and revenue generation opportunities from e-waste,” added Habib. “For example, it can help electronic manufacturers and recyclers to understand the potential for urban mining, plan for future extractions of critical materials, and identify the need for safe handling of any hazardous materials.”

 Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.