The EU needs to overhaul e-waste rules so that they effectively recover valuable resources from electronic equipment, as well as prevent, mitigate, and reverse the environmental harm caused by resource consumption and electronic waste. European standards, once revised and made legally binding, can offer detailed guidance for meeting minimum requirements for sustainable, circular e-waste recovery
The number of electronics on the EU market increased by more than 85% between 2013-2021, new Eurostat data reveals [1]. This is leading to a similarly expanding rate of e-waste [2]. A bold and urgent answer is needed from the EU to mitigate environmental damage caused by Europe’s exponentially growing reliance on electronics.
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