Troubling new data released recently underscores just how big of a growing problem electronic waste is becoming in Europe.
According to new data from Eurostat in a press release from the European Environmental Bureau, the amount of electronic equipment sold in Europe in 2023 skyrocketed to almost 16 million tons, an 89% increase over the amount sold in 2012. On top of that, 5.7 million tons of e-waste were collected in 2023, and collection rates of e-waste left much to be desired.
In Germany, for example, just 29.5% of e-waste was properly collected and reported, and places like Portugal and Hungary had some of the lowest collection rates on the entire continent.
"The surge in electronic waste mirrors our ever-increasing appetite for new devices — and with it, the growing strain on our planet's finite resources," said Fynn Hauscke, Senior Policy Officer, Circular Economy and Waste at the EEB. "Every new smartphone, laptop or appliance consumes critical raw materials like lithium, palladium, and copper, whose extraction comes at a high environmental cost. Unless Europe tackles overconsumption and strengthens producer responsibility, we will continue to exceed planetary boundaries."
The numbers combine to paint a grim picture for Europe in terms of e-waste. As devices become increasingly disposable (the average cell phone in Europe lasts just three years), and demand for electronics continues to grow, recycling used electronics is going to become more and more crucial on a number of fronts.
Among the most important reasons to make a recycling push is the fact that new electronic devices require much of the same type of metal as previous devices. Things like lithium, palladium, and copper are all finite resources, and recycling devices reduces the demand to dig new metal out of the ground, which can help slow rising costs.
But the benefits aren't just financial. Electronic waste that hasn't been disposed of properly poses a significant hazard in traditional landfills. Lithium-ion batteries, which are found in everything from cellphones and laptops to both disposable and reusable vapes, pose a significant fire and explosion risk in landfills, and a lot of e-waste can contain heavy metals, which can leach toxins into soil and water, further polluting the land.
The numbers have led environmental groups to call for attempts to lessen consumption.
"Increasing quantities placed on the market and poor collection results show that producer responsibility in the field of electronics is failing to meet important environmental targets," Viktor Schödwell, Senior Expert, Environmental Action Germany said. "We therefore need to make producers genuinely accountable to reduce environmental impacts of their products to prevent the general public from bearing these costs. All producers must join a collective producer responsibility organisation which must be obliged to meet targets for collection, preparation for reuse and high-quality recycling and promote ecodesign."
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