Where Do Our Old Phones Go? The Growing E-Waste Problem

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1. 01Where Do Our Old Phones Go?

   Good afternoon, everyone. Last week, I cleaned out a drawer and found four old phones, two broken chargers, and a laptop I hadn't used in years. I started wondering: what happens to all our old electronics? Today, I'll talk about e-waste.

   大家下午好。上周，我清理了一个抽屉，找到了四部旧手机、两个坏掉的充电器，还有一台好几年没用过的笔记本电脑。我开始想：我们那些旧电子产品最后都去哪儿了？今天，我来聊聊电子垃圾。

2. 02What Is E-Waste?

   E-waste, or electronic waste, means old devices with a plug or a battery that people throw away: phones, laptops, TVs, cables, and even electric toothbrushes.

   电子垃圾，也就是电子废弃物，指的是人们扔掉的、带插头或电池的旧设备：手机、笔记本电脑、电视、数据线，甚至还有电动牙刷。

3. 03How Much?

   According to the Global E-waste Monitor 2024, the world produced a record sixty-two million tonnes of e-waste in 2022. And it's on track to reach eighty-two million tonnes by 2030.

   根据《2024年全球电子废弃物监测》，2022年全世界产生了创纪录的6200万吨电子垃圾。而且预计到2030年将达到8200万吨。

   Source: ITU & UNITAR, "The Global E-waste Monitor 2024"

4. 04How Much Is Recycled Properly?

   Here's the worrying part. Only twenty-two point three percent of that e-waste was documented as properly collected and recycled in 2022. The rest is unrecorded, which can mean it ends up in landfills or is handled in unsafe ways.

   令人担忧的是这一点。2022年，这些电子垃圾中只有22.3%有记录显示得到了妥善收集和回收。其余的都没有记录，这可能意味着它们进了垃圾填埋场，或者以不安全的方式被处理了。

   Source: ITU & UNITAR, "The Global E-waste Monitor 2024"

5. 05A Widening Gap

   The report also found that since 2010, e-waste has been growing almost five times faster than documented recycling. In other words, the gap is getting bigger every year.

   报告还发现，自2010年以来，电子垃圾的增长速度几乎是有记录的回收量的五倍。换句话说，这个差距每年都在扩大。

   Source: ITU & UNITAR, "The Global E-waste Monitor 2024"

6. 06Why It Matters

   Why does this matter? Electronics contain valuable metals that we lose when they're thrown away. They can also contain harmful substances, which can hurt people and nature when devices are broken apart unsafely.

   这为什么重要呢？电子产品里含有贵重金属，扔掉就浪费了。它们还可能含有有害物质，如果用不安全的方式拆解，可能会伤害人和自然。

7. 07What We Can Do

   So what can we do? Use our devices longer, repair them before replacing them, and take old electronics to official collection points instead of the trash. Companies can help by making devices easier to repair.

   那我们能做些什么呢？把设备用得更久一些，坏了先修再换，把旧电子产品送到正规的回收点，而不是扔进垃圾桶。企业也可以出一份力，把设备做得更容易维修。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, e-waste is growing much faster than our recycling. This week, check your own drawers. You might find old devices that deserve a second life, or at least a proper goodbye. Thank you.

   最后总结一下，电子垃圾的增长速度远远超过了我们的回收速度。这周，检查一下你自己的抽屉吧。你可能会发现一些值得拥有第二次生命的旧设备，或者至少值得好好告别的旧设备。谢谢大家。