Global electronic waste has grown to record levels

(KYMA, KECY / CNN) - Global electronic waste has grown to record levels and it's expanding five times faster than rates of recycling.

According to a new united nations report, in 2022 the world generated 62 million metric tons of electronic waste, also known as “e-waste.”

That's an 82 percent increase since 2010 and enough to fill more than one and a half million 40-ton trucks.

If placed bumper-to-bumper they would form a line long enough to wrap around the earth.

E-waste includes anything with a plug or a battery which includes everything from old cellphones to discarded e-cigarettes to broken kitchen appliances.

Much of it can contain toxic and dangerous substances like mercury and lead.

Landfills are overflowing with it, increasing pollution as well as harm to the environment, and human health.