(GENEVA) Across the river from Delhi's Red Fort, the grim neighbourhood of Seelampur lives off what consumers in the modern world throw away - their broken or obsolete electronic and electrical goods.

Home to one of the world's largest markets for e-waste, Seelampur exemplifies the challenge highlighted in a U.N.-led report released on Thursday.

The Global E-waste Monitor 2020 report found that the world dumped a record 53.6 million tonnes of e-waste last year. Just 17.4% was recycled.

"Even countries with a formal e-waste management system in place are confronted with relatively low collection and recycling rates," the report said.

China, with 10.1 million tonnes, was the biggest contributor to e-waste, and the United States was second with 6.9 million tonnes. India, with 3.2 million tonnes, was third. Together these three countries accounted for nearly 38% of the world's e-waste last year.

While the overall damage done to the environment from all the un-recycled waste may be incalculable, the message from the report was conclusive: "The way in which we produce, consume, and dispose of e-waste is unsustainable."