Global Crisis of Electronic Waste: A Looming Disaster
According to a report from Gamestar on November 13th, the global accumulation of electronic waste has reached 9 million tons, primarily consisting of "invisible" electronic waste such as wires, e-cigarettes, and electronic toys. These discarded electronic products are often ignored by people and ultimately abandoned in the environment.
However, this approach has a serious problem: electronic devices often contain harmful substances such as lead and mercury, which can seep out from landfill sites and pollute the soil and water sources.
The annual amount of discarded e-cigarettes and other waste worldwide is equivalent to three Brooklyn Bridges, with a staggering $9.5 billion worth of waste being discarded in 2019 alone. The majority of this waste consists of valuable materials such as iron, copper, and gold.
According to data from the WEEE Forum (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Forum), the length of discarded copper wire in 2022 is enough to circle the Earth 107 times. Additionally, the demand for copper is expected to significantly increase in the next decade.
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