In an effort to mitigate growing electronic waste (e-waste) across South Africa, Cartoon Network Africa and registered producer responsibility organisation E-Waste Recycling Authority (ERA) have partnered to raise awareness and educate and empower children about e-waste.

Currently, e-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream – growing three times faster than general municipal solid waste – while only 10% of e-waste is recycled.

The partnership, which forms part of Cartoon Network’s Climate Champions initiative, aims to inspire children to become e-waste warriors advocating for recycling in their homes and communities.

“E-waste is virtually 100% recyclable. Old mobile phones, a washing machine – anything with a cable or battery – should be recycled, as it contains mixed materials such as wiring, plastic, hazardous materials and even gold. If it is disposed of correctly, it does not harm the environment and can be reused in new products,” says ERA CEO Ashley du Plooy.

However, globally, e-waste generation, including items such as mobile phones, laptops, MP3 players, plugs and batteries, is expected to reach 82-million tonnes a year by 2030 – a 32% increase on the record 62- million tonnes – an average of 7.8 kg per capita – of e-waste produced in 2022, according to the Global e-Waste Monitor 2024.

The report, funded and prepared in partnership with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research’s Sustainable Cycles, or SCYCLE, Programme, the International Telecommunication Union and Fondation Carmignac, points out that the global e-waste collection and recycling rate is not keeping pace, with less than one-quarter, or 22.3%, of e-waste mass documented as having been properly collected and recycled in 2022.

The rise in e-waste generation is outpacing the rise in formal environmentally sound collection and recycling by a factor of almost five, a widening gap that is being driven by technological progress, higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product lifecycles, growing electronification and inadequate e-waste management infrastructure.

While electronics such as mobile phones and computers are the more well-known range of e-waste, children’s toys are increasingly becoming electronic in nature.

“A staggering 7.3-billion electronic toys – ranging from car racing sets and electric trains to musical toys, talking dolls and drones – are discarded every year. This equates to an average of one e-toy per person on Earth,” says Warner Bros brand, communications and digital content strategy for Kids EMEA VP Monika Oomen, noting that, as digital natives, children today are surrounded by electronic devices.

Cartoon Network’s EMEA Kids Insights survey, conducted on the Quantilope platform in August 2023, with a sample size of 1 500 children aged 6 to 11 in the UK, South Africa, France, Turkey and Poland, found that 70% of children across the Europe, Middle East and Africa region had not heard of e-waste or were aware but not sure or had no idea what it means.

The study notes that the majority of children claim to have heard of e-waste, but in reality, few, at 30%, know what it means.

Most children, at 87%, have at least one e-waste item at home, with South Africa being above the index at 97%, with children’s toys, headphones and tablets among the top three items, and 64% of children in South Africa say they store e-waste items at home or throw them away.

This highlights the need for e-waste education, and in line with this, through the partnership with ERA, Cartoon Network will use its beloved characters and engaging storytelling to teach children about e-waste, its challenges and how recycling can be a solution.

Cartoon Network and ERA aim to cultivate a generation of environment-aware children who comprehend the significance of responsible e-waste management through the combination of education and entertainment.