E Waste Volume Calculator

Work out e waste volume instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About E Waste Volume Calculator

E-waste mass is device count times average weight. Roughly 30-40% by weight is recoverable metal — steel, aluminium, copper and small quantities of precious metals — while 2-5% comprises hazardous components such as batteries, mercury lamps, capacitors and CRT glass that must be segregated before processing.

Formulas

E-waste mass

Mass (t) = devices x average weight (kg) / 1000

Fractions

Recoverable metals = mass x metal fraction; hazardous = mass x hazardous fraction

Worked example

With the default values below, E Waste Volume Calculator returns Total E-Waste Mass of 40.000. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Devices Retiredminimum 0: 5,000
Average Device Weightminimum 0 kg: 8 kg
Recoverable Metal Fractionaccepts 0–100 %: 35 %
Hazardous Component Fractionaccepts 0–30 %: 3 %

Results

Total E-Waste Mass: 40.000
Recoverable Metals: 14.000
Hazardous Components: 1.2000
Storage Volume Required: 200.00

Step by step

1Values used
2E-waste mass
3Fractions
4Total E-Waste Mass= 40.000
5Recoverable Metals= 14.000
6Hazardous Components= 1.2000
7Storage Volume Required= 200.00

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
E-waste is classified as hazardous waste in many jurisdictions and must be handled by authorised facilities with documented transfer notes and data security controls.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

E-waste is classified as hazardous waste in many jurisdictions and must be handled by authorised facilities with documented transfer notes and data security controls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is segregation of hazardous components mandatory?

Batteries cause fires in shredders, mercury lamps release vapour, and capacitors may contain PCBs. Regulations require these to be removed by hand before any mechanical processing.

Is data destruction part of e-waste handling?

Yes for IT equipment. Certified data erasure or physical destruction with an audit trail is normally a contractual and data protection requirement separate from the waste obligations.