In 2014, Latin America produced 9 per cent of the world’s electronic waste1 (e-waste), the equivalent of 3,900 kilo tonnes2 (kt), according to a new report from the GSMA and United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS). The study, “E-waste in Latin America: Statistical Analysis and Policy Recommendations”, finds that over the next four years, e-waste generated by the region’s population will grow between 5 and 7 per cent annually, with almost 4,800 kt of e-waste predicted by 2018.
The report was commissioned to identify the main challenges related to e-waste management in Latin America, focusing in particular on the opportunities associated with mobile phone collection and recycling. The total average e-waste generated in 2014 in Latin America was calculated to be 6.6 kg per person, of which 29 g represents mobile phone e-waste per person in the region, or approximately 0.3 mobile phones discarded per person per year.