Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The world threw out 62 million tonnes of electronics in 2022, and less than a quarter of it reached proper recycling. The copper in that pile was worth about $19 billion. Demand climbs to roughly 33 million tonnes by 2035, while mined supply peaks in the late 2020s and then falls below 19 million. A new mine takes about 17 years to open, so digging can't close the gap in time. Recycled copper covered 18% of demand in 2015, and today it covers under 17%. The EU's Circular Economy Act aims to double Europe's rate by 2030, and UNEP argues recycling only works alongside using less copper in the first place. So what's the oldest dead phone in your drawer?
This video was produced in partnership with the UN. Some b-roll provided by La Farga.
youtube.com/watch?v=or8bGc27CyY
@UNEP
The world threw out 62 million tonnes of electronics in 2022, and less than a quarter of it reached proper recycling. The copper in that pile was worth about $19 billion. Demand climbs to roughly 33 million tonnes by 2035, while mined supply peaks in the late 2020s and then falls below 19 million. A new mine takes about 17 years to open, so digging can't close the gap in time. Recycled copper covered 18% of demand in 2015, and today it covers under 17%. The EU's Circular Economy Act aims to double Europe's rate by 2030, and UNEP argues recycling only works alongside using less copper in the first place. So what's the oldest dead phone in your drawer?
This video was produced in partnership with the UN. Some b-roll provided by La Farga.
youtube.com/watch?v=or8bGc27CyY
@UNEP
