The world generated a record 62 billion kg of e-waste in 2022, about 7.8 kg per person, and the UN documented only 22.3 percent as properly collected and recycled. These are the latest global e-waste statistics, from the UN's Global E-waste Monitor 2024. Below, every figure shows its source and data year.
US and California numbers follow the global figures. Figures last checked November 2026. The final section explains how we keep this page current. New to the topic? Start with what is e-waste.
How to read these numbers
Data year is the year a figure describes, not the year a source published it. For example, the Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (GEM 2024) came out in March 2024 and describes 2022.
Billion kg equals million tonnes. So 62 billion kg is the same as 62 million tonnes. US sources use short tons and pounds, so we keep their units as published.
Documented means what countries could count and report. So it does not cover recycling that countries could not count.
Global e-waste statistics
How much e-waste does the world generate each year? The UN's latest answer is 62 billion kg in 2022, and the total has kept rising since 2010. All figures in this section come from GEM 2024 and the UNITAR release that announced it on 20 March 2024.
- 62 billion kg of e-waste generated worldwide in 2022, up 82 percent since 2010 (UNITAR)
- 7.8 kg per person on average worldwide in 2022 (GEM 2024 Highlights)
- About 2.6 billion kg more e-waste each year, based on the trend to 2022 (UNITAR)
- 82 billion kg projected for 2030, a further 33 percent (UNITAR)
- The 2022 total would fill 1.55 million 40-tonne trucks (UNITAR)
- From 2010 to 2022, e-waste grew almost five times faster than documented recycling (GEM 2024 Highlights)
In plain terms, the world is making e-waste faster than it is building the systems to recycle it. The total grows by roughly the same amount every year, but documented recycling has not kept pace. If the trend holds, the gap between the two will be wider in 2030 than it is now.
What percentage of e-waste is recycled?
The UN documented 22.3 percent (13.8 billion kg) of e-waste as formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound way in 2022. It also estimates where the rest went.
- 13.8 billion kg (22.3 percent) documented as formally collected and recycled in 2022 (GEM 2024 Highlights)
- 16 billion kg collected and recycled outside formal systems in high and upper-middle-income countries in 2022 (GEM 2024 full report)
- 18 billion kg handled in lower-income countries, mostly by the informal sector, in 2022 (GEM 2024 full report)
- 14 billion kg thrown out with residual waste and mostly landfilled in 2022 (GEM 2024 full report)
- 20 percent projected documented recycling rate for 2030, lower than in 2022 (GEM 2024 Highlights)
- 12 percent of small equipment recycled in 2022, even though it is the largest category by weight (UNITAR)
The four routes add up to roughly the 62 billion kg total. However, only the first route has full documentation, and the others are UN estimates.
E-waste by category
The UN groups e-waste into six categories. Small equipment is the biggest by weight, about a third of the total.
| Category | Examples | Generated |
|---|---|---|
| Small equipment | microwaves, toasters, vacuum cleaners, toys, e-cigarettes | 20.4 billion kg |
| Large equipment | washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, electric stoves | 15.1 billion kg |
| Temperature exchange equipment | refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps | 13.3 billion kg |
| Screens and monitors | TVs, monitors, laptops, tablets | 5.9 billion kg |
| Small IT and telecommunication equipment | phones, personal computers, routers, printers | 4.9 billion kg |
| Lamps | fluorescent, high-intensity discharge and LED lamps | 1.9 billion kg |
| Solar panels (shown separately) | photovoltaic panels | 0.6 billion kg |
Weight shapes these numbers. A single fridge outweighs dozens of phones, so temperature exchange equipment ranks high even though a home has only one or two. Lamps are light, so their share looks small, but some contain mercury and need separate handling. When you compare categories, remember the figures are in kilograms, not item counts.
E-waste recycling rates by region
Recycling rates vary widely, especially between continents. Europe documents the highest share, and Africa the lowest.
- Documented recycling rates in 2022: Europe 42.8 percent, Oceania 41.4 percent, the Americas 30 percent, Asia 11.8 percent and Africa 0.7 percent (GEM 2024 Highlights)
- Northern America (US and Canada) generated 7.96 billion kg in 2022, or 21.2 kg per person, with a documented recycling rate of 52.1 percent (GEM 2024 full report)
So people in the US and Canada generate nearly three times the world average per person.
What the materials in e-waste are worth
E-waste is also a source of raw materials. People often call this urban mining, because the metals in old devices can replace metal dug out of the ground. These figures come from the UNITAR release on GEM 2024.
- USD 91 billion of metals in 2022's e-waste, including copper (USD 19 billion), gold (USD 15 billion) and iron (USD 16 billion)
- USD 28 billion of that recovered as secondary raw materials in 2022
- 1 percent of rare earth demand met by e-waste recycling in 2022
- About 93 million tonnes CO2-equivalent of emissions avoided by formal e-waste management, as reported in the 2024 Monitor
So recyclers recovered less than a third of the metal value in 2022.
Toxic substances and policy
- 58,000 kg of mercury released each year through non-compliant handling (2022, GEM 2024 Highlights)
- 45 million kg of plastics with brominated flame retardants released each year (2022, GEM 2024 Highlights)
- 81 countries had an e-waste policy, law or regulation in 2023, up from 78 in 2019 (GEM 2024 Highlights)
- 65 percent of cross-border e-waste shipments were uncontrolled in 2019 (GEM 2024 Highlights)
Our article on the effects on health and the environment explains what these releases mean for people and places.
E-waste statistics in the United States
How much e-waste does the United States produce? The UN estimates about 7.2 billion kg in 2022, the largest total in the Americas.
- About 7.2 billion kg of US e-waste generated in 2022, counting all electrical and electronic equipment (GEM 2024 full report)
- 2.7 million tons of selected consumer electronics generated in 2018, by the EPA's measure (EPA Durable Goods data)
- 1.04 million tons of those recycled in 2018, a recycling rate of 38.5 percent (EPA Durable Goods data)
- Recycling one million laptops saves the yearly electricity of more than 3,500 US homes (2006 estimate, EPA citing USGS)
- Recyclers can recover 35,000 lb of copper, 772 lb of silver, 75 lb of gold and 33 lb of palladium from one million cell phones (2006 estimate, EPA citing USGS)
Why US numbers differ. The UN uses a model that covers all electrical and electronic equipment, measured in kilograms. The EPA, however, counts a narrower list of consumer electronics, measured in US short tons, and its latest data year is 2018. The two recycling rates measure different things, so don't compare them directly. The EPA also does not publish a landfill figure for this category.
You may also see a US recycling rate of about 56 percent on other sites. We could not find it on any primary source, so it is not on this page.
California e-waste statistics
California tracks e-waste through its Covered Electronic Waste (CEW) Recycling Program, run by CalRecycle. The program pays registered recyclers for covered screens such as TVs, monitors and laptops.
All figures below come from CalRecycle, mostly its CEW program update.
- About 67 million lb of covered screens claimed for payment in 2025, including 11,577,749 lb of CRT devices and 56,852,728 lb of non-CRT (flat panel) devices
- About 65 million lb claimed in 2024, including 14,090,017 lb of CRT devices and 50,425,036 lb of non-CRT devices
- USD 80 million in total program claims in 2025, up from USD 72 million in 2024
- 2.7 billion lb of e-waste collected and safely managed since the program began (program total to April 2026, CalRecycle press release)
- Battery-embedded products joined the program on 1 January 2026 under SB 1215
These are pounds claimed for state payment, so they cover screens only. They are not all the e-waste California recycles. CRT pounds fell from 2024 to 2025, while flat panels rose and now make up most of the total. CalRecycle says data on battery-embedded products will be available in 2027.
Buyers of covered devices in California pay a state recycling fee at purchase, set by screen size. CalRecycle also publishes the current amounts on its CEW program page. Our guide to California e-waste laws explains how the program and the rules for households and businesses fit together.
Dream E-Waste is a registered participant in this program (CEWID 127772).
Outdated e-waste statistics to avoid
Many pages still quote older figures as if they were current. These are the most common:
- 53.6 million tonnes generated, 17.4 percent recycled and 7.3 kg per person are 2019 figures from the 2020 monitor. The 2022 figures, however, are 62 billion kg, 22.3 percent and 7.8 kg.
- 50 million tonnes is older still.
If you see a 2025 or 2026 date on a page quoting 53.6 million tonnes, the date is new but the number is not. Some pages also quote figures, such as 68.4 million tonnes, that we could not find on any UN source.
Recycle your own e-waste
The numbers only move when devices reach certified recyclers. In San Diego County, you can bring standard electronics to any of our six locations through our free e-waste drop-off, with no appointment. We also wipe and destroy every device that holds data by default.
How we update this page
We review these e-waste statistics every November, and sooner whenever one of our sources publishes new data. We check four places:
- the Global E-waste Monitor pages of ITU and UNITAR, for a new edition
- the EPA Facts and Figures about Materials data, for a new data year
- CalRecycle's CEW program update, for the latest calendar year (usually published after year end)
- CalRecycle's battery-embedded product data, expected in 2027
Our rules are simple. We only list figures we have read on the primary source, and every figure shows its data year. When a figure changes, the old value moves to the change log below and the list shows the new one.
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Page published. No newer Global E-waste Monitor than the 2024 edition found. | all sources above |
Frequently asked questions
How much e-waste is produced each year?
The world produced 62 billion kg of e-waste in 2022, the latest year with UN data. That is about 7.8 kg per person and 82 percent more than in 2010. The UN also projects 82 billion kg by 2030. The figures come from the Global E-waste Monitor 2024, published by ITU and UNITAR in March 2024.
Is there a 2025 or 2026 Global E-waste Monitor?
Not as of November 2026. The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, which describes the year 2022, is still the latest edition. Pages that show 2025 or 2026 global totals are usually repeating the 2022 data or using figures with no UN source. We will update this page when a new edition comes out.
How much e-waste does the US produce compared with Canada?
The UN reports them together as Northern America. The region generated about 7.96 billion kg in 2022, or 21.2 kg per person, while the US alone accounted for about 7.2 billion kg. Northern America documented 52.1 percent as collected and recycled.
Can I use these figures in my report?
Yes, but cite the original source, not this page alone. Each figure lists its source and data year, so you can check it and quote it properly. Teachers and editors will want the primary source, such as the UN Global E-waste Monitor, the EPA or CalRecycle.
Why do e-waste statistics differ between sources?
Sources measure different things. The UN counts all electrical and electronic equipment in kilograms. The EPA counts selected consumer electronics, measured in US short tons. CalRecycle counts pounds of covered screens claimed for payment. Data years differ too. So always compare figures with the same scope, unit and year.
