A giant Mount Rushmore-style sculpture of the G7 leaders’ heads, made entirely of discarded electronics, was installed above a beach near to Carbis Bay. The sculpture, named Mount Recyclemore, aims to highlight the growing threat of e-waste on the planet as leaders of the world’s most advanced economies prepare to discuss how to tackle climate change and build a greener future.

Depicting world leaders including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, American President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the e-waste sculpture has been created by leading UK re-commerce expert, musicMagpie, and artist and founder of the Mutoid Waste Company, Joe Rush, alongside sculptor Alex Wreckage.

We partnered with Joe Rush, from Mutoid Waste, who has previously collaborated with the likes of Banksy, Vivienne Westwood and Damien Hirst to create art about environmental issues and is now working with musicMagpie to raise awareness of a more sustainable way to buy, rent and sell consumer tech by encouraging a circular economy.

The arresting installation has been erected following research showing that the G7 nations alone produce almost 15.9 million tonnes of e-waste a year, with the US (6.9m), Japan (2.6m), Germany (1.6m) and UK (1.6m) being the worst offenders. In fact, in 2019 the UK produced 23.9kg per capita annually – that’s the second highest waste electrical and electronic equipment per capita in the world.

According to the UN, the current 53 million tonnes of e-waste generated annually worldwide  will more than double by 2050, making it the fastest growing waste stream in the world.

Despite this growing environmental issue, musicMagpie’s own research has found that an alarming four in five (79%) Brits do not know what e-waste is. When given the definition of e-waste, nearly a third (31%) didn’t believe it damaged the environment or were unsure, while 45% weren’t aware it impacted climate change.

Unless urgent action is taken the issue of e-waste could worsen, as research from musicMagpie revealed that Brits are already sitting on £16.5 Billion worth of technology they no longer use, holding on average 11 unused devices per household.