Facts and Figures
- Less than 20% of the computers we dispose of are actually recycled
- A typical CRT monitor contains about 1.36kg of lead, a highly poisonous chemical if it enters ground water
- Each year in the UK, the general public dispose of over 1.2 million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste, the equivalent to 150,000 double decker buses!
- Around 2-5% of the world’s total solid waste is made up of electrical and electronic equipment
- Roughly 165,000 computers become obsolete every day
- In the UK, the amount of electrical waste created would fill the new Wembley Stadium 6 times over every year!
- Over their lifetime, the average UK citizen will create 3.3 tonnes of WEEE.
- Electrical goods are the fastest growing waste stream in the UK, growing by 5% each year.
Where WEEE is not recycled, the waste can have a negative effect on soil, air and water quality and can lead to environmental damage. It can also have negative impacts on human and animal health.
