A new report found that Europe is sitting on a goldmine of electronic waste that could be recycled into valuable materials and products.

What's happening?

According to Interesting Engineering, the European Union-funded FutuRaM consortium discovered that Europe's stash of critical raw materials equates to around 1 million tons annually, and not all of them are recovered.

The data showed that in 2022 alone, Europe generated roughly 11.8 million tons of e-waste, equivalent to approximately 44 pounds per person. Around 54% was managed properly, but 46% (approximately 5.5 million tons) ended up in landfills, incinerators, or scrapyards, resulting in significant economic losses. 

"Europe depends on third countries for more than 90% of its critical raw materials, yet we only recycle some of them as little as 1%," Jessika Roswall, the EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, said in a news release. "We need a real change in mindset in how Europe collects, dismantles, and processes this fast-growing e-waste mountain into a new source of wealth."

The materials recovered included approximately 440,000 tons of copper, aluminum, silicon, tungsten, and palladium, all of which play a crucial role in essential products and sectors such as electrical wiring, transportation, construction, semiconductors, and more. The report stated that ramping up recycling — particularly of solar panels, which are expected to produce roughly 2.4 million tons of e-waste by 2050 — will benefit clean energy industries and digital applications.

"It is hard to imagine modern civilization without critical raw materials," Pascal Leroy, director general of the Brussels-based Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Forum, said in the release. "Without them, we cannot build the batteries, turbines, chips, and cables that underpin Europe's green and digital future. By mining our e-waste instead of the planet, Europeans have a powerful opportunity to build our own circular supply chains, reduce exposure to global shocks, and secure the building blocks of our future." 

Why is e-waste recycling important?

As the report found, if the proper recycling systems aren't in place, economies stand to lose millions, if not billions, of dollars from unrecovered e-waste. Aside from the economic repercussions of not recovering electronic materials, e-waste is a significant source of pollution worldwide. Heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, along with harmful chemicals like flame retardants, leach into soil and waterways, contaminating drinking water and ecosystems and threatening communities near landfills and incineration facilities. 

In countries without proper recycling facilities, electronic waste is often burned or placed in acid baths to extract valuable materials. Due to a lack of regulations, workers are exposed to thousands of dangerous chemicals, according to the World Health Organization. Most of this waste originates from wealthier nations that seek to reduce costs associated with recycling, but it has a significant impact on people's health. If these richer countries invest more in e-waste recycling, they will not only benefit public health and the environment but also contribute to a circular economy.

Are companies doing anything about this?

Recycling companies and industrial tech businesses such as Tomra Recycling, Metallium, and Computer Recycling are deploying innovative technologies to pull valuable materials from electronics to keep them out of landfills and ensure they are put to good use.

What else is being done about e-waste?

Retailers such as Apple and Best Buy offer trade-in programs that enable customers to exchange their old gadgets for store credit or cash back. If the items are deemed ineligible for credit, stores will recycle them at no cost. It's never been easier to make money on your unwanted electronics, and you can feel good knowing you're also helping the planet.

Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics? Giving me money back 💰 Letting me trade for new stuff 👕 Making it as easy as possible ⚡ Keeping my stuff out of landfills 🗑️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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