E-waste is quickly growing. Regulations need to catch up. Image By Matt Bedingfield This is a lightly edited excerpt of testimony recently provided to the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Environment Subcommittee during the hearing “Beyond the Blue Bin: Forging a Federal Landscape for Recycling Innovation and Economic Growth.” E-waste is the world’s fastest growing solid waste stream. In 2022, the U.S. alone produced 10% of the world’s e-waste, equal to 7.9 million metric tons of e-waste and containing 3.9 million metric tons of metals, such as gold and copper. The economic value of this material is estimated around $10.6 billion; however, despite the abundance of valuable metals available within this feedstock, the majority of U.S. e-waste is either landfilled or exported often to countries with inadequate environmental and labor protections. By 2030, projections indicate the global e-waste stream will increase by 32%, reaching 82 million metric tons annually. However, these figures underestimate the impact of emerging digital infrastructure, particularly the exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. AI growth will accelerate e-waste The rapid deployment of generative AI systems, hyperscale data centers and cloud-based computing is creating a parallel stream of high-performance electronic waste — from graphics processing units (GPUs) and high-density server blades to advanced network modules and semiconductors. A 2024 study published in Nature Computational Science estimates that AI-driven data infrastructure could generate between 1.2 and 5 million metric tons of additional e-waste globally by 2030, with the U.S. likely responsible for 20–30% of that total — or up to 1.5 million metric tons annually that is not currently factored into forecasted volumes. A national strategy is needed Despite these rising volumes, the U.S. remains unequipped to manage this waste stream at scale. There is no national mandate or federal recycling standard for e-waste. While 25 states and the District of Columbia have implemented e-waste recycling laws, these vary widely in scope, enforcement, and covered devices. This fragmented regulatory landscape leaves critical gaps in coverage, creates enforcement loopholes, and enables actors to shift operations to states with minimal oversight. Only 15 – 20% of e-waste generated in the U.S. is processed through certified recycling channels, and even then, the country lacks vertically integrated infrastructure to collect, dismantle, recover metals, and refine them to market-grade purity. A significant opportunity exists Some domestic firms engage in preliminary shredding or low-grade smelting, but these operations typically stop short of producing high-purity, market-ready materials. Instead, partially processed e-waste is exported for final treatment. In the 2022 year, the U.S. exported an estimated 340,000 metric tons of e-waste, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. This system results in the loss of critical materials such as gold, palladium, copper and rare earth elements that are essential to national industries including semiconductors, defense, EVs and clean energy. It also outsources job creation, technology development and recycling expertise that could otherwise strengthen the U.S. industrial base. The majority of e-waste that is not recycled through formal channels ends up in landfills. While e-waste constitutes less than 2% of total U.S. landfill mass, it accounts for over two-thirds of the heavy metals found in landfill sites — including lead, mercury and cadmium. These materials leach into groundwater, contaminate soil and pose long-term risks to public health and ecosystems. To truly increase national e-waste recycling rates, we must invest not only in innovative technologies but also in the infrastructure and community partnerships that make recycling accessible and trusted. Read the full testimony here Matt Bedingfield is the executive vice president of commercial strategy and growth for Mint Innovation, which finds ways to extract and refine precious metals from e-waste. *The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EnergyPlatform.News.
