Global Market for Electronic Waste to be Worth $13 Billion in 2014

June 30, 2010

Wellesley, Mass. – According to a new technical market research report, ELECTRONIC WASTE RECOVERY: GLOBAL MARKETS (MST037B) from BCC Research (www.bccresearch.com), the global market for electronic waste materials was an estimated $8.5 billion in 2009, but is expected to increase to nearly $13 billion in 2014, for a 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.9%.

The largest segment of the market, made up of recycled metals, is expected to reach $11.4 billion in 2014, after increasing at a CAGR of 8.8% from the estimated 2009 value of $7.5 billion.

The segment made up of recycled plastics was estimated to be worth $976 million in 2009, and is expected to increase at a CAGR of 10% to reach nearly $1.6 billion in 2014.

The smallest segment of the market, recycled silica, is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1%, from $4.9 million in 2009 to $6.9 million in 2014.

It is remarkable to think that electronic waste (E-waste) did not exist before 1989, and now it is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. For purposes of this report, E-waste is described as discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electrical or electronic devices. This includes all components of the waste stream, including metals, plastics, silica, and other materials. On average, E-waste equals between 3% and 5% of the solid waste stream in developed countries. Of that E-waste, approximately 75% to 85% ends up in landfills or is incinerated and is not recycled. The global municipal solid waste stream (MWS) was estimated in 2009 at nearly 400 million tons.

A concerted effort to reclaim discarded E-waste from the MWS is being undertaken by virtually all countries, with varying degrees of success. This study will forecast future global markets for recovery, reuse, and disposal of E-waste.

Part of this analysis will focus on producer responsibility for appropriate recovery and disposal.  With rapidly shifting global regulatory trends, led by the European Union’s directives, worldwide changes in the material composition and end-of-life treatment of electric and electronic equipment are being mandated. These policies are not only compelling manufacturers to migrate to nontoxic materials, but they also require manufacturers to manage the life cycles of those materials.

This report is targeted primarily at those engaged in the design, manufacture, sale, use, recovery, and disposal of electric and electronic equipment. The market analysis can be of use to senior decision-makers, business development managers, and investment professionals, including engineers, product development managers, and economic analysts.
 

Electronic Waste Recovery: Global Markets( MST037B )
Publish Date: Jun 2010    

Data and analysis extracted from this press release must be accompanied by a statement identifying BCC Research LLC as the source and publisher. For media inquiries, email press@bccresearch.com or visit www.bccresearch.com/media to request access to our library of market research.