Original version

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

Click

Digital Planet

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Science & Nature: Science & Technology

Technological and digital news from around the world.

BBC World Service Australasia

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service News Internet

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

Digital Planet: 5bn mobile phones to become waste in 2022

Factual: Science & Nature

GettyImages-phones.jpg

18/10/2022 GMT

5bn mobile phones to become waste in 2022

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, 5bn mobile phones to become waste in 2022

5.3 billion mobile phones to become waste in 2022, but only fraction disposed of properly

5.3bn mobile phones to become waste in 2022. Also, 100 years of the BBC – tech at the Daventry transmitting station and the biggest radio telescope in the Northern Hemisphere

The WEEE forum estimates that of the 16 billion mobile phones in the world about 5.3bn will no longer be in use this year.  Despite being packed with precious metals like gold, silver and palladium and other recyclable parts most will not be disposed of properly.  This mountain of e-waste (that if piled on top of each other would reach 120 times higher than the International Space Station) is only part of e-waste problem with other small consumer electronics e.g. remotes, headphones, clocks, irons etc., being hoarded in even greater numbers than mobiles. Magdalena Charytanowicz from the WEEE forum is on the show and explains the magnitude of the problem and how it needs to be tackled.


100 years of the BBC
As the BBC starts its 100th anniversary celebrations, we have a report from BBC Northampton’s Martin Heath, who is spending the day at the site of the Daventry transmitting station at Borough Hill. Martin tells us about the history of the station (it was initially was used for long wave, and short wave broadcasting and closed in 1992) and we also speak to one of the engineers who worked there about the technology used.

The biggest radio telescope in the Northern Hemisphere
The NOEMA radio telescope is now the most powerful radio telescope in the northern hemisphere. Twelve antennas in the French Alps will simultaneously detect and measure a large number of signatures of molecules and atoms. More than 5000 scientists from across the world will now be able to observe stars being born, comets, black holes and light from cosmic objects that has been travelling to Earth for more than 13 billion years.  We find out about the tech that is making this possible.


The programme is presented by Gareth Mitchell with expert commentary from Angelica Mari.

Studio Manager: Gayl Gordon
Producer: Ania Lichtarowicz

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Digital Planet

5bn mobile phones to become waste in 2022

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

About BBC World Service