Human Rights Impacts of E-Waste

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the human rights implications of electronic waste (e-waste), focusing on the toxic chemicals used in electronics and the health and environmental hazards associated with unregulated recycling practices, particularly in developing countries.

• Electronic components contain a variety of hazardous materials that cause severe health issues. Arsenic and beryllium are identified as human carcinogens; lead is a potent neurotoxin that can cause brain disorders in children; and mercury targets the central nervous system and can cause kidney damage. Other toxins include cadmium, which causes kidney disease and bone brittleness, and hexavalent chromium, which can damage DNA.
• Global e-waste generation was approximately 41.8 Mt in 2014, consisting of large equipment (11.8 Mt), small equipment (12.8 Mt), temperature exchange equipment (7.0 Mt), screens and monitors (6.3 Mt), small IT (3.0 Mt), and lamps (1.0 Mt). This volume was projected to reach 49.8 Mt by 2018, growing at an annual rate of 4 to 5 percent.
• Informal e-waste recycling in Guiyu, China, has led to severe health and reproductive crises. Residents have experienced high incidences of skin damage, nausea, and gastric ulcers. A study indicated that Guiyu had a stillbirth risk of 4.72%, which is more than four times higher than the 1.03% risk found in the control site of Xiamen.
• E-waste pollution threatens the right to food and water through the contamination of agricultural lands and the food chain. Polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) from recycling activities can accumulate in plants, making vegetables grown near dismantling sites risky for consumption. These pollutants can also be taken up by grazing livestock and excreted in milk and eggs.
• The informal recycling sector in developing countries, such as India, relies on marginalized groups, including women and children, who work 12-14 hours per day without personal protective equipment. Workers often use bare hands to process parts in unventilated rooms, leading to breathing problems, eye irritation, and constant headaches.
• Child labor in e-waste recycling is categorized as one of the worst forms of child labor due to its hazardous nature. In Ghana, children are primarily involved in manual dismantling and burning, resulting in skin infections, stomach diseases, and breathing ailments. In Guiyu, China, an estimated 80 percent of children suffer from respiratory diseases.
• Lack of information and labeling contributes to improper waste disposal. In the Philippines, 88 percent of households dispose of mercury-containing lamps with domestic waste, while only 1 percent sell them to informal recyclers. The report notes that the European Union's RoHS directive helps by restricting six hazardous materials in electronics.

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} }