Between 2012 and 2021, the amount of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) generated in the EU increased from 7 Mt to 8,4 Mt (+ 20%) [1], making WEEE one of the fastest growing waste streams in Europe and globally. WEEE recycling plays a crucial role in decarbonising the WEEE value chain and contributes significantly to the EU’s material sovereignty. In 2020, a total of 2,724 facilities for the initial treatment of WEEE were operating in the EU.

However, currently only around 40% of all WEEE is reported as recycled in the EU [2]. For WEEE plastics, the recycling rate drops to just 20% [3]. Moreover, under the placed-on-market (POM) calculation method, only about 46% of WEEE is collected in the EU, remaining far below the 65% target set out in the WEEE Directive [4]. This results in a substantial loss of valuable resources and constrains the full potential of the circular economy.

The current regulatory and economic context fails to provide sufficient incentives to enhance circularity across the electrical and electronic equipment value chain. Recyclers face multiple challenges, including low demand for recycled materials, the slow implementation of ecodesign rules in new products, and persistently low collection rates.

Recycling Europe therefore calls for six key measures to boost WEEE recycling in the EU:

1. Improving e-waste collection
2. Enabling free and fair trade for WEEE within the EU
3. Enhancing EEE recyclability through ecodesign and the Digital Product Passport (DPP)
4. Taking down market and regulatory barriers to effective EEE circularity
5. Ensuring adequate design and implementation of EPR schemes
6. Future-proofing the WEEE recycling sector