AI data centers could generate enough e-waste to fill millions of containers by 2050

The Basel Action Network’s latest report reveals that the e-waste generated by AI data centers could reach 211 million metric tons annually by 2050, enough to fill 23 million 40-foot containers. Unlike earlier studies that focused only on servers and GPUs, this analysis includes power distribution, cooling systems, backup power and networking equipment, as well as a broader “AI Waste Contagion” category covering related telecom and consumer devices.

The nonprofit estimates AI accounts for 15-20 percent of the projected waste, translating to 8.6-13.1 million metric tons retired each year. Currently, only about 25 percent of the world’s 68.3 million tons of e-waste is properly collected and recycled, with the remainder ending up in informal recycling streams that pose health risks from lead, chromium and other toxins. The United States, home to the highest concentration of data centers, has yet to join the Basel Convention, and investigations show U.S. recyclers still export waste abroad where it often enters unsafe “backyard” processing. The report calls for immediate policy and industry action to avert a toxic waste crisis as AI infrastructure expands.