The History of Electronic Waste

E-Waste truly began to become a problem in the mid-1970s with the first wave of personal computers became available to the wider public. Early e-waste was poorly regulated which oftentimes led to illegal dumping in other countries and environmental damage.

In 1989, the Basel Convention was adopted in order to regulate the international trade of hazardous waste, including e-waste, and made it illegal to transport this waste to less developed countries.

The first formal e-waste recycling programs began to be implemented in the 1990s as the volume of discarded electronic devices continued to grow with the introduction of more and more phones, computers, and other devices. 

The Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directice was implemented by the European Union in 2012, which promoted e-waste recycling and reuse. While e-waste is still rapidly continuing to grow, improving the collection, treatment, and recycling of waste can increase resource efficiency and contribute to more security in the supply of raw materials.