New report claims e-waste will peak in 2015, then decline

A new report from Pike Research, a firm that analyzes global clean technology trends, states that the e-waste problem will continue and grow through 2015, but that the tide will turn in 2016 as recycling efforts finally catch up to the amount of electronics being manufactured.

The report foresees e-waste peaking at about 73 million metric tons. More aggressive e-recycling campaigns from companies, government regulation, and consumer awareness will all play a part in causing that volume to decline after 2015. The report names Cisco, Dell, HP, Motorola, Nokia, Research in Motion, Sprint Nextel, and Vodafone as companies that are leading the way with recycling efforts.

The firm notes that government regulation will be critical in ultimately decreasing the amount of e-waste that ends up in landfills. As it is now, consumers have very little incentive to recycle their old electronics; it's too easy to just throw them away. But government programs that regulate how electronics can be disposed of will cause consumers to change their behavior.

An executive summary of the report is available for free download. Companies or other interested parties can request the full report for a fee.

via CNET