Contents
- Electronic waste collection statistics: global totals and documented collection
- Collection rates vary by appliance and device category
- Electronic waste collection statistics across world regions
- EU electronic waste collection statistics in 2024
- Wisconsin’s E-Cycle collection program
- E-waste processing outcomes reported by Indian states
- Sources
Electronic waste collection statistics: global totals and documented collection
The world generated 62 billion kilograms of electronic waste in 2022, or 7.8 kg per person. Of that total, 13.8 billion kg—1.7 kg per person—was documented as formally collected and recycled. The resulting formal collection and recycling rate was 22.3%. These figures distinguish material documented in formal systems from the broader amount of waste generated; they are not a count of every device that changed hands or was recovered through informal channels. (The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, pp. 12, 30)
Documented formal collection and recycling increased from 8 billion kg in 2010 to 13.8 billion kg in 2022. The increase in recorded mass is substantial, but the 2022 figures also show that formal collection and recycling accounted for less than a quarter of generated e-waste. (The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, p. 12)
The report estimates that another 16 billion kg was collected and recycled outside formal systems in high- and upper-middle-income countries with developed e-waste management infrastructure. In low- and lower-middle-income countries without developed infrastructure, an estimated 18 billion kg was handled, mostly by the informal sector. A further estimated 14 billion kg was disposed of as residual waste, most of it landfilled globally. These are distinct estimates about how e-waste was handled; they should not be added to the documented formal figure as though all were measured through the same reporting system. (The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, p. 13)
Formal collection also sits within different national policy settings. The monitor reports that 81 countries had legal instruments governing formal e-waste collection activities. Among countries regulating and enforcing e-waste management through legally binding instruments with targets, or through e-waste legislation or policies, the average documented formal collection and recycling rate was 25%. That is a group average, not a rate for every country with a policy. (The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, pp. 33, 35)
Collection rates vary by appliance and device category
The 2022 global figures differ considerably across equipment groups. Large equipment excluding photovoltaic panels had the highest documented rate among the categories shown, while lamps had the lowest. Small equipment accounted for the greatest generated mass in this breakdown.
| Global equipment category, 2022 | Generated (billion kg) | Documented formal collection and recycling (billion kg) | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large equipment, excluding photovoltaic panels | 15.1 | 5.1 | 34% |
| Temperature exchange equipment | 13.3 | 3.6 | 27% |
| Screens and monitors | 5.9 | 1.5 | 25% |
| Small equipment | 20.4 | 2.4 | 12% |
| Small IT and telecommunication equipment | 4.6 | 1.0 | 22% |
| Lamps | 1.9 | 0.1 | 5% |
| Photovoltaic panels | 0.6 | 0.1 | 17% |
The figures show why total collection tonnage alone can conceal category differences. Small equipment generated 20.4 billion kg, more than any other listed group, but 12% was documented as formally collected and recycled. Large equipment generated less mass, 15.1 billion kg, yet its documented rate was 34%. Lamps had a 5% rate on 1.9 billion kg generated. These comparisons use the monitor’s category definitions and formal collection measure; they do not describe all recovery routes. (The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, p. 30, Figure 4)
Electronic waste collection statistics across world regions
Per-person generation and formal collection vary across the five broad regions reported for 2022. Europe and Oceania had the highest documented formal rates in this comparison. Africa’s documented per-capita amount and rate were particularly low, while Asia’s generation per person was also lower than in Europe, Oceania, and the Americas.
| Region, 2022 | Generated per person | Documented collected and recycled per person | Formal rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 17.6 kg | 7.53 kg | 42.8% |
| Oceania | 16.1 kg | 6.66 kg | 41.4% |
| Americas | 14.1 kg | 4.20 kg | 30.0% |
| Asia | 6.4 kg | 0.76 kg | 11.8% |
| Africa | 2.5 kg | 0.018 kg | 0.7% |
Per-capita rates help compare regions of different population sizes, but they do not show the total mass handled. Subregional figures add another view: Western Europe documented 2,478 million kg formally collected and recycled at a 58.4% rate. Northern America documented 4,151 million kg at 52.1%, while South America documented 117.1 million kg at 2.7%. The large differences in both mass and rate reflect the specific regional aggregates in the report; they should not be read as country-level results. (The Global E-waste Monitor 2024, p. 32, Figure 7; Annex 2, Table A2.2)
EU electronic waste collection statistics in 2024
Eurostat reports that the European Union collected 5.5 million tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in 2024, up from 3.2 million tonnes in 2015. For the EU trend, missing data for some countries were estimated. The 2024 collected amount equaled 12.3 kg per inhabitant, calculated using the average population for that year. (Eurostat, Waste statistics – electrical and electronic equipment, pp. 1, 4)
The EU’s 2024 collection rate was 39%, but that percentage uses a different denominator from kilograms collected per inhabitant: WEEE collected in 2024 is compared with the average quantity of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) placed on the market during 2021–2023. The distinction matters when comparing this rate with other figures in this article, such as the Global E-waste Monitor’s documented formal collection and recycling rates. (Eurostat, Waste statistics – electrical and electronic equipment, p. 1)
Country results show variation within the EU. Bulgaria collected 18.9 kg per person in 2024, followed by Czechia at 17.8 kg and France at 17.7 kg. At the lower end of the reported per-person amounts, Cyprus collected 4.7 kg, Portugal 6.0 kg, and Malta 6.4 kg. These are amounts collected per person, not collection rates against equipment placed on the market. (Eurostat, “12.3 kg of e-waste per person collected in the EU”)
On the market-placement denominator, Bulgaria’s 2024 WEEE collection rate was 83.1%; Slovakia’s was 67.2%, Czechia’s 67.0%, and Latvia’s 65.1%. Each percentage measures WEEE collected in 2024 relative to the average EEE placed on the market in the preceding three years. It therefore answers a different question from the per-person tonnage figures. (Eurostat, Waste statistics – electrical and electronic equipment, p. 2)
Wisconsin’s E-Cycle collection program
In Wisconsin, collectors participating in E-Cycle Wisconsin received 20.5 million pounds of eligible electronics during program year 16, covering January through December 2025. The state Department of Natural Resources also reports that the program recycled nearly 440 million pounds of electronics from households and schools between January 2010 and December 2025. The first figure is a single program-year amount received by collectors; the second is cumulative recycling over nearly 16 years. (Wisconsin DNR, E-Cycle Wisconsin program information)
The program’s accounting rules include a rural incentive: Wisconsin law allows manufacturers to multiply by 1.25 the weight of eligible electronics collected from households and covered schools in rural counties. This is a program credit rule, not an increase in the physical weight collected. Keeping that distinction clear helps interpret program totals alongside reported material quantities. (Wisconsin DNR, E-Cycle Wisconsin program information)
E-waste processing outcomes reported by Indian states
A parliamentary reply from India reports e-waste processed by registered recyclers, in metric tonnes, for state fiscal years 2023–24 and 2024–25. This measure is processing, not collection, so the figures are best read as a separate downstream outcome rather than as directly comparable collection totals.
| State | Processed in FY 2023–24 (MT) | Processed in FY 2024–25 (MT) |
|---|---|---|
| Gujarat | 95,776.688 | 76,879.919 |
| Rajasthan | 24,279.505 | 21,345.480 |
| Tamil Nadu | 23,203.636 | 16,360.815 |
| Karnataka | 20,910.603 | 16,151.766 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5,914.660 | 13,014.042 |
| Kerala | 5,242.860 | 10,079.632 |
Among these six states, Gujarat had the largest reported processed quantity in both fiscal years shown, though its amount was lower in FY 2024–25 than in FY 2023–24. Madhya Pradesh and Kerala reported higher quantities in FY 2024–25 than in the previous year; the other four listed states reported lower quantities. These rows describe only the named states and the reported processing measure, not India’s total collection or the full national outcome. (Government of India, “Parliament Question: E-waste processing management”)