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PLATFORM FOR ACCELERATING
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
A New Circular Vision for
Electronics
Time for a Global Reboot
In support of the United Nations E-waste Coalition
January 2019
PLATFORM FOR ACCELERATING
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
PLATFORM FOR ACCELERATING
THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)
This report is published as part of the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE).
PACE is a public-private collaboration mechanism and project accelerator dedicated to bring-
ing about the circular economy at speed and scale. It brings together a coalition of more than 50
leaders and is co-chaired by the heads of Royal Philips, the Global Environment Facility and UN
Environment. It is hosted by the World Economic Forum.
The E-waste Coalition
This report supports the work of the E-waste coalition, a group of seven UN entities that have
come together to increase cooperation and more efficiently provide support to Member States
and Parties to address the e-waste challenge. The coalition brings together: the International
Labour Organization (ILO); the International Telecommunication Union (ITU); the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP); the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO);
the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR); the United Nations University
(UNU), and the Secretariat of the Basel and Stockholm Conventions. It is supported by the World
Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the World Health Organization (WHO)
and the World Economic Forum and coordinated by the Secretariat of the Environment
Management Group (EMG).
World Economic Forum
91-93 route de la Capite
CH-1223 Cologny/Geneva
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 (0)22 869 1212
Fax: +41 (0)22 786 2744
Email: contact@weforum.org
www.weforum.org
The views expressed in this publication are those
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the United Nations (UN)-system entities.
The UN and its contributory organizations do not
accept responsibility for the accuracy or
completeness of the contents and shall not be
liable for any loss or damage that may be
occasioned, directly or indirectly, through the use
of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.
The designations employed and the presentation
of the material in this publication do not imply
the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the
part of the UN and its contributory organizations
concerning the geo-political situations or the legal
status of any country, territory, or city or area or
their authorities, or concerning the delimitation of
their frontiers or boundaries. Mention of the names,
logos of companies and their commercial products
does not imply affiliation to or endorsement of the
UN and other contributory organizations. In no
event, the UN and its contributory organizations’
respective names and emblems, or any
abbreviations thereof, shall be used for commercial
purposes.
Contents
Foreword
Executive Summary
E-waste defined
The scale of e-waste
Trends
Resource scarcity, extraction and emissions
Batteries: An electrifying issue
A System Error
Consumer relationship with electronics
Lack of recycling
Labour, environmental and health issues
Legislation on e-waste
Where is e-waste generated
The economic value of e-waste
Delivering a zero e-waste circular economy
A system upgrade: Change to the circular economy
Electronics as a service?
Economic benefit and job creation
Conclusion
Contributors
Endnotes
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A New Circular Vision for Electronics: Time for a Global Reboot
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A New Circular Vision for Electronics: Time for a Global Reboot
Foreword
We have come together as the heads of UN agencies with the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for
Sustainable Development to address a severe global challenge while also simultaneously grasping a massive opportunity.
Electronic goods, from solar mini grids to smartphones, bring huge benefits to humankind and offer new opportunities for
development. They present new tools to address the challenges of climate change, expand education, deliver healthcare
and facilitate trade. Digitalization and connectivity are also critical to help achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
At the same time, the current system of production and consumption is ready for a reboot. In the mining, manufacturing,
transport, retail, consumption and disposal of electronics, there are vast amounts of wasted resources and the system
has several negative impacts. Each year, approximately 50 million tonnes of electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) are
produced, equivalent in weight to all commercial aircraft ever built; only 20% is formally recycled. If nothing is done, the
amount of waste will more than double by 2050, to 120 million tonnes annually.
When it is not being stored in cellars, drawers and cabinets, e-waste is often incinerated or dumped in landfills, or makes its way
around the world to be pulled apart by hand or burned by the world’s poorest, to the detriment of health and the environment.
That same e-waste represents a huge opportunity. The material value alone is worth $62.5 billion (€55 billion), three times
more than the annual output of the world’s silver mines and more than the GDP of most countries. There is 100 times
more gold in a tonne of mobile phones than in a tonne of gold ore. Furthermore, harvesting the resources from used
electronics produces substantially less carbon-dioxide emissions than mining in the earth’s crust. Working electronic goods
and components are worth more than the materials they contain. Therefore, extending the life of products and re-using
components brings an even larger economic benefit.
There is also an opportunity to build a more circular electronics system, one in which resources are not extracted, used and
wasted, but valued and re-used in ways that create decent, sustainable jobs. In short, we need a new vision for electronics.
This report combines data and research from throughout the UN system to make the case for a new vision. Describing and
analysing challenges and opportunities, and laying the groundwork for the process of systemic change is just the first step.
To make this happen, the following are required:
– Vision: Society needs to collectively rethink the rules of the game and create a vision around which government,
consumers and industry can rally
– Awareness: The public needs to learn more about this growing global challenge and opportunity
– Collaboration: This coalition seeks to work with multinationals, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs,
employers’ associations, academia, trade unions, civil society and associations in a specific and deliberative process to
bring about change. Public-private collaborations through platforms such as PACE and the E-waste Coalition will play an
important role
– Action: Coordinated action by all actors is needed within and across national borders
Houlin Zhao, Secretary-General,
International Telecommunication
Union
Dominic Waughray, Head of the
Centre for Global Public Goods,
Member of the Managing Board,
World Economic Forum
David M. Malone, Rector,
United Nations University
Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive
Director, United Nations Environment
Programme
Guy Ryder, Director-General,
International Labour Organization
Peter Bakker, President of the World Busi-
ness Council for Sustainable Development
Nikhil Seth, Executive Director,
United Nations Institute for Training
and Research
LI Yong, Director General,
United Nations Industrial
Development Organization
Rolph Payet, Executive Secretary
of the Basel, Rotterdam and
Stockholm Conventions
A New Circular Vision for Electronics: Time for a Global Reboot
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