Discarded electronic waste containing rare earth minerals is piling up in landfills worldwide at a rapid pace, as much of the technology sector and enterprise users sidestep the disposal challenge. At the same time, this growing waste stream holds critical raw materials essential to global supply chains.
According to the latest Global E-Waste Monitor, worldwide e-waste contained roughly 68 billion pounds of metals in 2022, including substantial quantities of critical materials. The total estimated value of those metals reached $91 billion, with copper, iron, gold, and nickel accounting for the largest share.
The report found that formal recycling recovered only $28 billion worth of metals in 2022, while informal recycling added another $12 billion. However, those figures don’t tell the full story. When an estimated $78 billion in annual health and environmental damage is factored in, e-waste represents a net global loss of about $37 billion — a figure projected to rise to nearly $40 billion by 2030.
Thomas Witherell, president of Data Recycling of New England, said addressing the e-waste crisis is far more complicated than simply extracting metal value. He noted that many reports overlook hazardous materials, the relatively low concentration of valuable metals in individual devices, and manufacturers’ shift toward using less gold in newer products. As a result, devices now generate the same scrap prices they did 15 years ago, while operating costs have increased, pushing many recyclers to rely on resale to stay profitable.
“From a macro perspective, it sounds promising. But in reality, it’s far more complex,” Witherell told TechNewsWorld.
Why Disposal Metrics Miss the Core Issue
Trey Closson, CEO of Amplio, an industrial asset recovery company, added that many enterprises lack strong incentives to manage e-waste responsibly. Procurement teams focus on production efficiency, making it far easier to send obsolete equipment to a scrapper or landfill than to ensure proper disposal.
“It’s much simpler to ship a few truckloads of assets to a scrapper or landfill than to make sure every item is handled correctly,” he told TechNewsWorld. “Plant inventory managers don’t have the resources or authority to manage e-waste properly, so they don’t.”
The scale of the issue is substantial. On average, each person generates about 18 pounds of e-waste annually. Larger appliances, such as refrigerators, are recycled at higher rates than smaller electronics. Witherell cautioned that calling e-waste a “gold mine” is misleading, as most devices contain very little recoverable value.
Uneven Global Progress
Closson noted that while scrap metal prices fluctuate, they generally trend upward, providing a baseline value for obsolete equipment. Amplio’s AI platform compares potential resale revenue with scrapping costs to determine the most economical outcome.
“In many cases, even if equipment can’t be resold intact, it can still be scrapped at a net positive value,” he said.
Ismael Velasco, founder of the Adora Foundation, said innovation is beginning to address e-waste, from reducing software-driven obsolescence to expanding global hardware reuse. He observed that while some platforms address recycling at the marketplace level, very few tackle the issue at the product design stage.
“Some industry groups and companies build marketplaces for collection and recycling, but that’s usually where it stops,” Velasco told TechNewsWorld. “There are very few platforms that intervene at the design phase.”
He added that many companies navigate recycling challenges on their own, often with consultants who lack deep electronics expertise.
“It’s critical to enable solutions that scale across industries and use cases, while balancing form, fit, and function in device design,” he said.
Technology Fuels Recycling Momentum
Francis D’Souza, CEO of Banyan.eco, created a platform that scores products based on recyclability and reusability, giving electronics designers actionable guidance before manufacturing begins.
He said resource scarcity and geopolitical pressures are already shaping the industry, and rising volumes of discarded electronics are intensifying both environmental and economic strain.
The aim is to put sustainability specifications in front of designers before products ever reach production.
“Growing e-waste means enormous amounts of valuable material are ending up in landfills,” he told TechNewsWorld, noting that discarded electronics also pose environmental risks due to toxic contamination.
“The cost of producing new devices with increasingly scarce and expensive materials creates a cycle that ultimately drives up prices for consumers,” he added.
Procurement as a Lever for Reduction
Luke Crihfield, director of demand generation at Amplio, said organizations can curb e-waste by improving procurement and recovery planning. Sustainable outcomes begin with procurement teams that factor in product lifespan and redeployment across facilities.
He pointed to growing acceptance of refurbished components, driven by operational necessity. If a refurbished part keeps a production line running, manufacturers are willing to use it.
Crihfield noted that purchasing is often decentralized, with buyers incentivized to minimize upfront costs rather than reduce long-term surplus.
“The simplest way to reduce e-waste is to avoid buying things you won’t need,” he told TechNewsWorld. “That’s easier said than done.”
He added that regulation also plays a key role. The EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation could boost demand for more durable products and increase reuse over time. He emphasized that e-waste is also a visibility and awareness issue within organizations.
New Directions in E-Waste Recovery
Meaghan Kennedy, founder of Orange Sparkle Ball, said pressure from regulators, customers, and investors is forcing companies to be more transparent about how they handle devices at end of life. That scrutiny is driving better tracking, longer product lifespans, repair-friendly designs, and wider adoption of take-back programs.
“Companies are starting to see discarded electronics not just as waste, but as valuable sources of components and critical minerals,” she told TechNewsWorld.
Kennedy’s Penny Pickup program targets a long-standing bottleneck: collecting devices before they become waste. The initiative uses zero-emission micrologistics — including autonomous robots and e-cargo bikes — to retrieve equipment directly from homes, labs, and offices.
“We address the last-mile problem. Most programs fail early because they can’t reach homes, labs, and offices — that’s where we focus,” she said.
By routing recovered devices to local refurbishers and processors, the platform keeps economic value and jobs within communities while reducing the amount of electronics sent to landfills.