Tracking the Global Generation and Exports of e-Waste. Do Existing Estimates Add up?

The transport of discarded electronic and electrical appliances (e-waste) to developing regions has received considerable attention, but it is difficult to assess the significance of this issue without a quantitative understanding of the amounts involved. The main objective of this study is to track the global transport of e-wastes by compiling and constraining existing estimates of the amount of e-waste generated domestically in each country M-GEN, exported from countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) M-EXP, and imported in countries outside of the OECD M-IMP. Reference year is 2005 and all estimates are given with an uncertainty range. Estimates of M-GEN obtained by apportioning a global total of similar to 35,000 kt (range 20,000-50,000 kt) based on a nation's gross domestic product agree well with independent estimates of MGEN for individual countries. Import estimates M-IMP to the countries believed to be the major recipients of e-waste exports from the OECD globally (China, India, and five West African countries) suggests that similar to 5,000 kt (3,600 kt-7,300 kt) may have been imported annually to these non-OECD countries alone, which represents similar to 23% (17%-34%) of the amounts of e-waste generated domestically within the OECD. M-EXP for each OECD country is then estimated by applying this fraction of 23% to its M-GEN. BY allocating each country's M-GEN, M-IMP, M-EXP and M-NET = M-GEN + M-IMP - M-EXP, we can map the global generation and flows of e-waste from OECD to non-OECD countries. While significant uncertainties remain, we note that estimated import into seven non-OECD countries alone are often at the higher end of estimates of exports from OECD countries.