Electronics take-back systems are handling more discarded equipment, but documented collection and recycling still trail the amount entering the waste stream. In 2022, the world generated 62 billion kilograms of e-waste and formally collected and recycled 13.8 billion kilograms, a documented rate of 22.3%. The latest European Union figures also show a gap: 14.4 million tonnes of electrical and electronic equipment entered the EU market in 2023, while 5.2 million tonnes of WEEE were collected.
Contents
- Global volume and the recovery gap
- Regional take-back performance
- Take-back rates by product category
- European Union system results
- EU collection rates and targets
- Unreported and informal flows in Europe
- United States consumer-electronics benchmark
Global volume and the recovery gap
The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 reports that the world generated 62 billion kilograms of e-waste in 2022. That equaled an average of 7.8 kilograms per person. Only 13.8 billion kilograms were documented as formally collected and recycled, producing a documented global collection-and-recycling rate of 22.3%.
These figures describe documented formal flows, not every device that may have been reused, stored, exported, dismantled, or discarded. They therefore provide a take-back benchmark while also showing why collection data does not capture the entire end-of-life pathway.
| Global measure | Result | Measurement period |
|---|---|---|
| E-waste generated | 62 billion kg | 2022 |
| E-waste generated per person | 7.8 kg | 2022 |
| Formally collected and recycled | 13.8 billion kg | 2022 |
| Documented collection-and-recycling rate | 22.3% | 2022 |
The 2024 monitor’s trend assessment says worldwide e-waste generation was increasing by 2.6 million tonnes per year. Under current trends, global e-waste is forecast to reach 82 million tonnes in 2030, while the documented collection-and-recycling rate is forecast to fall to 20%. The forecast is not a measured 2030 result; it describes what could happen if current trends continue.
The same 2030 scenario estimates that raising global e-waste collection and recycling to 60% would produce benefits exceeding costs by more than US$38 billion. This is an estimate for a defined scenario, not a reported financial return from an existing take-back program. The relevant sources are the Global E-waste Monitor 2024 and the Global e-Waste Monitor 2024 summary.
Regional take-back performance
Europe had the highest per-person generation and documented collection figures among the regional facts reported here. In 2022, Europe generated 17.6 kilograms of e-waste per person and documented 7.5 kilograms per person as collected and recycled. Its documented collection-and-recycling rate was 42.8%.
The regional results below use different measures where the available source reports them. Europe is shown with a documented rate, while Oceania and the Americas are shown with generated and documented collected-and-recycled kilograms per person. Asian countries are represented by total generation rather than a per-person collection figure.
| Region | Generated | Documented collected and recycled | Reported rate or context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 17.6 kg/person | 7.5 kg/person | 42.8% documented rate |
| Oceania | 16.1 kg/person | 6.7 kg/person | Per-person figures, 2022 |
| Americas | 14.1 kg/person | 4.2 kg/person | Per-person figures, 2022 |
| Asia | About 30 million tonnes | Not supplied here | Nearly half of global total |
Oceania generated 16.1 kilograms per person in 2022 and documented 6.7 kilograms per person as collected and recycled. The Americas generated 14.1 kilograms per person and documented 4.2 kilograms per person as collected and recycled. These are 2022 measurements, not current-year estimates.
Asian countries generated about 30 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, nearly half of the global total. The supplied regional figures do not provide a matching Asian collection-and-recycling amount, so generation and documented recovery should not be treated as a complete regional rate comparison. These regional statistics come from the Global E-waste Monitor 2024 and its published summary.
Take-back rates by product category
Product categories show why a single overall take-back rate can conceal different recovery outcomes. In 2022, small equipment generated the largest volume among the categories listed here, at 20.4 billion kilograms. Its documented collection-and-recycling rate was 12%, the lowest rate in this comparison.
Temperature-exchange equipment generated 13.3 billion kilograms and had a 27% documented collection-and-recycling rate. Screens and monitors generated 5.9 billion kilograms, with a 25% rate. Small IT and telecommunications equipment generated 4.6 billion kilograms and had a 22% rate.
| Product category | E-waste generated in 2022 | Documented collection and recycling rate |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature-exchange equipment | 13.3 billion kg | 27% |
| Screens and monitors | 5.9 billion kg | 25% |
| Small equipment | 20.4 billion kg | 12% |
| Small IT and telecommunications equipment | 4.6 billion kg | 22% |
The rates are documented collection-and-recycling rates for the named categories. They do not mean that the remaining percentage was necessarily sent to landfill: the uncollected portion may include storage, reuse, exports, informal handling, non-compliant recycling, or other destinations. The category measurements are reported by the Global E-waste Monitor 2024.
European Union system results
Eurostat reports that electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU market reached 14.4 million tonnes in 2023. In the same year, EU WEEE collected reached 5.2 million tonnes and WEEE treated also reached 5.2 million tonnes. WEEE recovered reached 4.8 million tonnes, while WEEE recycled and prepared for reuse reached 4.3 million tonnes.
The historical series shows expansion in both market placement and waste management. Equipment placed on the market increased from 7.6 million tonnes in 2012 to 14.4 million tonnes in 2023. Over the same period, collected WEEE increased from 3.0 million tonnes to 5.2 million tonnes, and treated WEEE increased from 3.1 million tonnes to 5.2 million tonnes.
Recovery rose from 2.6 million tonnes in 2012 to 4.8 million tonnes in 2023. WEEE recycled and prepared for reuse rose from 2.4 million tonnes to 4.3 million tonnes. These are reported tonnages for the EU series; they are not interchangeable with the global per-person figures above.
| EU measure | 2012 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment placed on market | 7.6 million tonnes | 14.4 million tonnes |
| WEEE collected | 3.0 million tonnes | 5.2 million tonnes |
| WEEE treated | 3.1 million tonnes | 5.2 million tonnes |
| WEEE recovered | 2.6 million tonnes | 4.8 million tonnes |
| WEEE recycled and prepared for reuse | 2.4 million tonnes | 4.3 million tonnes |
The EU totals and changes from 2012 to 2023 are reported in Eurostat’s Waste statistics—electrical and electronic equipment.
EU collection rates and targets
The EU WEEE collection rate was 37.5% in 2023 when measured against the average amount of equipment placed on the market in 2020–2022. That result sits below the 45% collection target associated with reference year 2016 and below the 65% target associated with reference year 2019 for the market-placement calculation method.
Nine EU countries surpassed the 45% WEEE collection target in 2023. France reported a 44.2% collection rate, Croatia 43.9%, and Ireland 43.6%. These country figures were close to, but below, 45%.
Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Latvia each achieved at least the 65% WEEE collection rate in 2023. Czechia reported a 61.7% collection rate under the generated-WEEE calculation method. Poland was the only country using the generated-WEEE method to achieve the 85% target in 2023.
The calculation method matters when comparing results. A percentage based on equipment placed on the market is not automatically equivalent to a percentage based on generated WEEE, and the targets named above use different reference years and methods. Eurostat’s Waste statistics—electrical and electronic equipment provides the 2023 rates, targets, and country context.
Unreported and informal flows in Europe
Collection totals can understate the amount of WEEE moving through a region when unreported and informal flows are included. An estimate for 30 European countries found that 9.7 million tonnes of WEEE were discarded in 2018, including reported and unreported flows.
Member States reported just over half of that estimated European total: 51%, or 5 million tonnes. The remaining flows were distributed across several estimated destinations. An estimated 1.12 million tonnes of unreported WEEE was recycled under non-compliant conditions, and 0.64 million tonnes was scavenged for valuable components.
An estimated 0.60 million tonnes entered household waste, while 2.09 million tonnes remained unaccounted for. These figures are estimates for 2018, not a later measurement and not proof that every unreported item followed the same pathway.
| Estimated European WEEE flow | Tonnes | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Total discarded, reported and unreported | 9.7 million | 2018 |
| Reported by Member States | 5 million | 2018 |
| Unreported recycling under non-compliant conditions | 1.12 million | 2018 |
| Scavenged for valuable components | 0.64 million | 2018 |
| Entered household waste | 0.60 million | 2018 |
| Remained unaccounted for | 2.09 million | 2018 |
The source labels these as estimated flows. They should not be presented as directly measured official collection totals. The estimates are discussed in the European Commission’s Improved WEEE data give a better picture of collection and recycling rates.
United States consumer-electronics benchmark
The US Environmental Protection Agency reports a separate benchmark for selected consumer electronics. In 2018, the United States generated an estimated 2.7 million tons of these selected products and recycled 1.04 million tons. The resulting recycling rate was 38.5%.
The historical figures use the same selected-consumer-electronics scope but different years. The United States generated 3.12 million tons in 2010 and recycled 1.23 million tons in 2015. Because the supplied figures do not provide a 2010 or 2015 rate, those tonnages should remain separate from the 2018 rate.
This US benchmark is not a complete measure of all electronic waste and should not be compared as though it used the same category definitions as the global or EU datasets. It is a selected-product measure for 2018, reported by the EPA in Durable Goods: Product-Specific Data.