Electronics are piling up faster than we collect them. The latest Eurostat data, published on 14 October 2026, show that in 2024, 32.4 kg of electrical and electronic equipment per inhabitant was placed on the EU market, while only 12.3 kg of waste equipment (WEEE) was collected.

A decade of growth

In 2015, 18.1 kg of equipment per inhabitant was placed on the EU market and 7.3 kg of e-waste was collected. The amount of equipment placed on the market has therefore grown by 79%, and the amount collected by around 68%. Collection is rising, but above all the gap between what we buy and what goes to recycling is widening.

Leaders and laggards in collection

• Most e-waste collected per inhabitant: Bulgaria (18.9 kg), Czechia (17.8 kg) and France (17.7 kg).
• Least: Cyprus (4.7 kg), Portugal (6.0 kg) and Malta (6.4 kg).
• Most equipment placed on the market: Austria (38.2 kg), Germany (38.0 kg) and Denmark (37.0 kg).

How does Poland compare?

According to Eurostat, Poland collected 16.56 kg of WEEE per inhabitant in 2024, or around 606,000 tonnes, with 29.37 kg of equipment per inhabitant placed on the market. This is well above the EU average.

The WEEE Directive requires Member States to collect at least 65% of the average weight of equipment placed on the market in the three preceding years, or 85% of the WEEE generated. Eurostat data indicate that Poland meets the second of these options, while collection across the EU as a whole remains far from the target.

E-waste is a source of raw materials

Every phone, laptop or charger that is not collected means lost raw materials: copper, aluminium, precious metals and critical raw materials. Wastes Service Group specialises in e-waste recycling and raw material recovery. If your company needs a partner to manage waste equipment, contact us.