Electronic waste: Which countries have the lowest recycling rates?

Millions of Europeans struggle to recycle their old phones, even when they are no longer in use.

Recent Eurostat research shows that 51% keep their old device at home instead of tossing it.

Only 11% recycle them, while 18% give them to someone or sell them, and 2% throw them away without recycling them.

Concerning electronic waste rates in the Balkans

The share of phones that end up in general waste is particularly high in the Balkans: 14% in Albania, around 11% in North Macedonia and almost 9% in Montenegro.

In the EU, the highest rate of people discarding their phones in this manner was reported in the Czech Republic, at nearly 6%.

By contrast, the lowest rate among all EU and extra-EU countries surveyed was found in Croatia. Only 0.57% of old mobile phones end up among general waste.

When it comes to old laptops and tablets, 34% of people keep them at home.

However, around 1.5% of people toss them into general waste or elsewhere.

Once again, Montenegro shows a particularly concerning rate: 9%, which is far above any other surveyed European nation.

Why do many people not recycle their old electronic devices?

Perhaps due to their size, old desktop computers have a relatively high recycling rate: 15%.

The Netherlands recycles 28% of them, followed by Sweden at 26%.

However, Dutch people also have the highest rate in the EU of throwing no-longer-used desktop computers into general waste, 6.6%.

Some EU candidate countries show even higher figures: 8% in Montenegro and nearly 10% in North Macedonia.

A poll by the British Royal Society of Chemistry found that the main reason most people, 37%, don’t recycle their old devices is concern about their data and security.

At the same time, 29% don’t know where to take their old tech.

Why is e-waste harmful?

E-waste is highly hazardous waste if recycled improperly due to toxic materials such as dioxins, lead and mercury, which are known to cause harm to human health.

Children are particularly vulnerable.

According to the WHO, exposure can cause “adverse neonatal outcomes”, including increased rates of stillbirth and premature birth, neurodevelopment and behavioural issues (particularly linked to lead), as well as reduced lung function, respiratory problems and increased asthma incidence.