EUROPA – Press Releases – Janez Potocnik European Commissioner for Environment Don’t waste waste! We are at Hoboken today because Electrical and Electronic Waste deserves specific attention: why? First – Because the mobile phone in your pocket has within it many precious substances that would have to be sourced through more primary extraction if we […]
EUROPA – Press Releases – Janez Potocnik European Commissioner for Environment Don’t waste waste!
We are at Hoboken today because Electrical and Electronic Waste deserves specific attention: why?
First – Because the mobile phone in your pocket has within it many precious substances that would have to be sourced through more primary extraction if we didn’t recover them. 40 mobile phones contain about one gram of gold. You would have to move and treat on average one tonne of ore, often using toxic substances such as cyanide, to get the same amount from primary extraction;
Second – Because Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (or “WEEE”) is the fastest growing waste stream – estimated to grow to about 12 million tones by 2020. It now seems normal to replace your phone every couple of years. And
Third – Because many substances in WEEE are dangerous or even deadly and must be treated properly.