International concern of «e-waste»

Seven United Nations organizations, the World Economic Forum and the World Economic Forum on Sustainable Development, in a report published at the Davos Forum yesterday, expressed concern over the rise in e-waste.

The world is getting rid of 50 million tons of e-waste a year, more than the weight of all passenger aircraft manufactured so far in the world, while only 20 percent of it is recycled, the report said. UNU predicted that in the absence of steps to reduce waste, it would more than double to 120 million tonnes by 2050.

The total value of waste per year is $ 62.5 billion, more than the national product of many countries, or 3 times the value of silver mines, the report said. In each tonne of e-waste there is more gold than one tonne of extracted ore.