1 million tonnes of critical raw materials dumped in Europe’s e-waste: Study

WEEE Forum calls for recycling and smart design for secure supplies

Europe’s discarded electronic products contain roughly 1 million tonnes of critical raw materials (CRMs) annually, enough to fill 50,000 shipping containers. With e-waste expected to rise, improving collection, recycling, and product design could recover over 1 million tonnes of CRMs by 2050, reducing reliance on imports and supporting climate goals.

Europe can go a long way in meeting its rising demand for critical raw materials, including rare earth metals, by better recycling and design. These are the findings of a study released today.

According to the report, released by WEEE Forum, a Brussels-based non-for-profit association, with European demand for critical raw materials rising amid geopolitical tensions and supply risks, a report reveals vital new data on the rapidly growing value and volume of Europe’s “urban mine” of electronic waste. Each year, discarded phones, laptops, servers, cables, appliances, and other electronic products across the EU27+4 region, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland Iceland, and Norway, contain approximately 1 million tonnes of critical raw materials. These essential metals and minerals are crucial for powering green technologies, supporting digital infrastructure, and modern defence systems.

WEEE Forum says that the weight of critical raw materials embedded in Europe’s electronic waste equates to 50,000 standard shipping containers, each holding 20 tonnes, or enough 6.1-metre (20-foot) containers to form a line stretching from Paris to Zurich. The Critical Raw Materials Outlook for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment report, prepared by the European Union-funded FutuRaM consortium for International E-Waste Day, emphasises the fundamental role of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) in Europe’s economy and daily life.

The analysis provides detailed datasets tracing EEE from first sale through end-of-life treatment and recovery across the EU, highlighting how Europe can enhance the recovery of these essential materials by improving the collection, design, and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).

The statement adds that in 2022, the EU27+4 generated 10.7 million tonnes of WEEE, approximately 20 kg per person, containing 29 critical raw materials with around 1 million tonnes embedded. While 54 pc or 5.7 million tonnes of WEEE was managed compliantly according to EU regulations, 46 pc or 5 million tonnes was handled outside compliant channels. From compliant treatments, roughly 400,000 tonnes of critical raw materials were recovered, including 162,000 tonnes of copper, 207,000 tonnes of aluminium, and smaller amounts of silicon, tungsten, and palladium.

However, even compliant systems lost about 100,000 tonnes of precious materials, mainly rare earth elements in magnets and fluorescent powders. Non-compliant routes caused major losses, with 3.3 million tonnes mixed with metal scrap, leading to partial recovery at best, 700,000 tonnes of e-waste landfilled or incinerated, 400,000 tonnes exported for reuse, and the remainder undocumented.

According to the statement, by 2050, the total volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in the EU27+4 is projected to increase from 10.7 million tonnes in 2022 to between 12.5 and 19 million tonnes annually, depending on whether Europe follows a business-as-usual, recovery, or circularity scenario.

The critical raw materials (CRMs) embedded in this waste stream are expected to grow from around 1 million tonnes to between 1.2 and 1.9 million tonnes per year. Europe could recover between 0.9 and 1.5 million tonnes of these materials annually by 2050, with the circularity pathway enabling high recovery rates while keeping waste volumes stable, thus reducing environmental pressure and securing a resilient supply of key metals like copper, aluminium and palladium.

The statements also adds that trends to 2050 show significant growth in large equipment waste, such as washing machines and dishwashers, rising from 4.0 million to as much as 7.5 million tonnes, and small equipment from 3.2 to up to 4.5 million tonnes. Temperature exchange equipment waste is expected to grow from 1.8 to 3.3 million tonnes, while small IT waste may reach up to 1 million tonnes.

Screens and monitors are projected to decline from 800,000 tonnes to between 700,000 and 400,000 tonnes. Meanwhile, photovoltaic panel waste will surge from 150,000 tonnes in 2022 to as much as 2.2 million tonnes by 2050, reflecting Europe’s solar energy transition. Lamp waste is expected to remain stable at around 100,000 tonnes.

“It is hard to imagine modern civilisation without critical raw materials, the organisation behind International E-Waste Day. 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,” says Pascal Leroy, Director General, WEEE.

“Europe’s e-waste is not trash, it is a multi-billion-euro resource waiting to be unlocked. Every kg we recover and any device we repair strengthens our economy, reduces our dependency, and creates new jobs, and getting the facts right is crucial for decision making, policy development to improve resource management,” says Kees Baldé, Senior Scientific Specialist UNITAR SCYCLE, scientific coordinator of the FutuRaM Project, and a lead researcher behind the Global e-Waste Monitor.

“This report shows that urban mining is no longer a concept, it is a business opportunity. New recycling facilities are opening across Europe, and demand from manufacturers is guaranteed. The challenge now is to scale collection and processing systems to make this potential a reality,” says Giulia Iattoni of UNITAR, the lead author of report and member FutuRaM consortium.

“International E-Waste Day is a reminder that circularity starts at home. Every phone tucked in a drawer, every broken appliance stored in a garage, and every cable tossed in the trash represents lost value and a missed chance to keep critical raw materials in circulation,” says Magdalena Charytanowicz of the WEEE Forum and IEWD coordinator.

“By choosing to repair, reuse or return old electronics through proper collection systems, consumers play a direct role in securing Europe’s supply of essential materials, reducing environmental damage from mining, and helping to create new green jobs. The success of circular economy policies depends not only on the legislation, but also on the everyday decisions of citizens,” she add