BERLIN (AP) — A new study claims 44.7 million metric tons (49.3 million tons) of TV sets, refrigerators, cellphones and other electrical goods were discarded last year, with only a fifth recycled to recover the valuable raw materials inside.
The U.N.-backed study published Wednesday calculates that the amount of e-waste thrown away in 2016 included a million tons of chargers alone.
READ MORE: FDA Clears Johnson & Johnson's Single-Dose COVID-19 Vaccine for Immediate UseThe U.S. accounted for 6.3 million metric tons, partly due to the fact that the American market for heavy goods is saturated.
READ MORE: Sacramento Doctor Appears in Virtual Traffic Court While Performing SurgeryThe study says all the gold, silver, copper and other valuable materials would have been worth $55 billion had they been recovered.
The authors of the Global E-waste Monitor predict that e-waste, defined as anything with a battery or a cord, will increase to 52.2 million metric tons by 2021.
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