This year, some 5.3 billion smartphones will be thrown away, recycled, or forgotten in a drawer by their owners around the world, according to a new report from the international forum on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
This sounds the alarm regarding the environmental issues that these devices may pose when they reach the end of their useful life. If these were stacked, it would represent a mountain regarding 50,000 kilometers high, or just over an eighth of the distance between the earth and the moon.
The organization, which brings together 36 producers of WEEE in 25 different countries, points out that the majority of people keep their old phones in their possession or throw them away rather than recycling them, according to a survey it conducted in six European countries in September. Thus, the minerals necessary for their operation, such as copper or cobalt, cannot be reused for new devices, and must instead be mined.
People tend not to realize that all these seemingly insignificant items are very valuable and together represent immense volumes globally
said Pascal Leroy, director general of the international forum on WEEEin a press release.
Also according to the organization, smartphones are among the smallest unused electronic products most often kept by their owners, following earphones and other small accessories, household appliances, such as clocks, and computer equipment, for example mice and keyboards.
The international forum on WEEE estimates that the world’s population collectively owns 16 billion smart phones whether they are in use or not.
