MAY 07

A new report from Pike Research, a firm that analyzes global clean technology trends, states that the e-waste problem will continue and grow through 2015, but that the tide will turn in 2016 as recycling efforts finally catch up to the amount of electronics being manufactured.

The report foresees e-waste peaking at about 73 million metric tons. More aggressive e-recycling campaigns from companies, government regulation and consumer awareness will all play a part in causing that volume to decline after 2015. The report names Cisco, Dell, HP, Motorola, Nokia, Research in Motion, Sprint Nextel and Vodafone as companies that are leading the way with recycling efforts.

The firm notes that government regulation will be critical in ultimately decreasing the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills. As it is now, consumers have very little incentive to recycle their old electronics; it's too easy to just throw them away. But government programs that regulate how electronics can be disposed ofwill cause consumers to change their behavior.

An executive summary of the report is available for free download. Companies or other interested parties can request the full report for a fee.

via CNET

Comments (3)

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New Report Claims e-waste
written by Glenn, May 07, 2009

The caveat is that it is critical for government regulation will be critical to change behavior. It is safe to say that the same could be said for greener cars. Unless the cost of driving rises dramatically, as it did with $4 gas, people won't get really serious about moving beyond fossil fuels.

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written by Fred, July 22, 2009

we need to find a better way of getting rid of these items

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we need to find a better way of not producing these items
written by Lucy, October 14, 2009

...or at least producing them so they are 100% non-toxic and easily reusable or recyclable. There is no such thing as 'getting rid of' waste, it is always going to end up somewhere, and at present, most of this toxic waste is ending up either in holes in the ground, or polluting the atmosphere after incineration. Companies should be forced to take back everything they produce and reuse it. this way they would take a much bigger interest in how easy it is to recycle and how toxic it is because it will be them who will be dealing with it.

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