>
About 844 million vaping devices are disposed of worldwide each year, equivalent to the weight of six Eiffel Towers.
These gadgets form part of an “invisible” mountain of electronic waste disposed of annually, including toys, charging cables, computer mice and headphones.
The waste is called “invisible” as consumers throw it in the trash without thinking.
But these goods contain precious metals such as lithium and copper, according to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
These are the raw materials for making electric cars, wind turbines and batteries.
New figures reveal that around 844 million vaporizers are disposed of worldwide every year (stock image)
This is equivalent to the weight of six Eiffel Towers, according to researchers from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research
About nine million tons of “invisible” electronic waste is disposed of worldwide each year.
The calculations found that about 1.8 billion computer keyboards and mice, 910 million remote controls and headphones, and 3.2 billion electronic toys are thrown away.
The amount of e-cigarettes disposed of is likely to be greater than estimates calculated by the United Nations, which were based on 2020 figures.
Vaping use around the world is increasing dramatically, making the striking comparison with the famous French monument likely outdated.
In the UK alone, there is evidence that the number of e-cigarettes disposed of each year quadrupled in 2023 from 2022 to 5 million per week, according to recent research by Material Focus.
E-cigarette recycling facilities are patchy, and councils warn that discarded devices can spark fires.
The UK Government is reviewing and updating regulations to ensure the e-cigarette sector helps fund the collection and processing of discarded products.
The amount of e-cigarettes disposed of is likely to be greater than estimates calculated by the United Nations, which were based on 2020 figures.
In addition to e-cigarettes, the study also found that 950 million kg of cables containing precious, easily recyclable copper were discarded last year – enough to orbit the Earth 107 times.
Many cables are stored in homes, perhaps set aside for possible future use.
The value of raw materials in the global e-waste generated in 2019 was estimated at £46 billion – most of this attributable to iron, copper and gold components.
Of the overall total, 1/6, or £7.7 billion, of physical value each year, falls into the category of invisible e-waste.
Other examples of common and unseen e-waste items in homes include toothbrushes, shavers, external drives and accessories, headphones, earbuds, remote controls, speakers, LED lights, power tools, home medical equipment, heat and smoke detectors, and many more.
“Invisible e-waste goes unnoticed due to its nature or appearance, leading consumers to overlook the recycling potential,” said Pascal Leroy, Director General of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Forum (WEEE), which commissioned the study.
“People tend to identify household electrical products as those they plug in and use regularly.
“But many people are confused about which waste category goes into which ancillary, peripheral, specialty, hobby and leisure products fit and how to recycle them.”
“Unfortunately, invisible e-waste often falls under the recycling radar of those who dispose of it because it is not viewed as e-waste,” said Magdalena Sharitanovic from the WEEE Forum.
“We need to change that, and raising awareness is a big part of the solution.
“A lot of efforts and progress have been made on plastic pollution, and people are now more aware of it, especially with a UN plastics treaty in place by 2024. We hope the same will happen in the area of e-waste.”
(Tags for translation)dailymail