Human Rights Impacts of E-Waste

The report details how the hazardous materials in e-waste—including lead, mercury, and cadmium—violate fundamental human rights such as the right to life, health, and food. It highlights the severe health consequences for workers and children in informal recycling sectors, particularly in China, India, Ghana, and the Philippines, where archaic recovery methods lead to systemic toxic exposure.

• Electronic components contain a variety of hazardous materials that cause severe health issues: arsenic is a known human carcinogen; barium exposure can lead to brain swelling and heart damage; beryllium can cause beryllicosis; and lead is a potent neurotoxin that can cause brain disorders in children.
• Global e-waste generation was approximately 41.8 Mt in 2014 and was projected to reach 49.8 Mt by 2018, with an annual growth rate of 4 to 5 percent.
• Informal e-waste recycling in Guiyu, China, has led to extreme environmental contamination and health crises, including a stillbirth risk (4.72%) that is more than four times higher than that of the control site, Xiamen (1.03%).

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Human Rights Impacts of E-Waste. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_EWaste.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Human Rights Impacts of E-Waste. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_EWaste.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Human Rights Impacts of E-Waste |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_EWaste.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndhuman, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Human Rights Impacts of E-Waste}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HR_EWaste.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }