About 1m tonnes of critical raw materials are hidden in discarded gadgets across Europe annually, data has revealed.
A study by researchers at the Futuram consortium found this level of copper, aluminium, rare earth elements and other vital substances in the waste streams of the EU, UK, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland in 2022.
Less than half of this valuable bounty was recovered, according to the report.
It found that 10.7m tonnes of electronic waste was generated across the 31 nations in the area studied, with little over half of it managed in compliance with sound environmental principles.
Even within this category, about 100,000 tonnes of critical raw materials were lost, while a further 500,000 tonnes of vital substances were abandoned during less sustainable processes.
Aluminium was the most-recovered material, with 208,000 tonnes saved from electronic waste in 2022, according to the report. However 288,000 tonnes of the metal were lost during the same period.
EU circular economy commissioner Jessika Roswall said: “Europe depends on third countries for more than 90 per cent of its critical raw materials. 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.
“Trade disruptions, from export bans to wars, expose Europe’s vulnerability. Recycling is both an environmental imperative and a geopolitical strategy.”
