E-waste Rising Sharply in Asia (UN Study)

Manila – Electronic waste is rising sharply across Asia with serious consequences for human health and the environment, according to a UN study released on Sunday. E-waste in Asia has jumped 63 per cent in five years, the report by the United Nations University said, warning of a need for most nations across the region to improve recycling and disposal methods.

“For many countries that already lack infrastructure for environmentally sound e-waste management, the increasing volumes are a cause for concern,” said Ruediger Kuehr, the report’s co-author and head of the UN University’s Sustainable Cycles Programme.

The report added that in recent years, Asia has rapidly emerged as a major source of electronic waste, due to increasingly affluent consumers buying items such as phones, tablets, refrigerators, personal computers and televisions.