Once again, we celebrate the International E-Waste Day by reminding ourselves that taking care to protect the environment is a common obligation for everyone.
Waste electrical and electronic equipment is among the waste streams with the fastest growth in recent years. Electrical and electronic equipment contains many raw materials: steel, aluminum, copper, lithium, gold, neodymium, and many rare earth materials. These are critical to the European economy, which relies on imports from third countries to meet its raw material and production needs. In the current complex geopolitical environment, the European institutions are debating the adoption of the Critical Raw Materials Act, which aims to establish a framework to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials: on the one hand, securing the resource base to achieve the Union's green transition and digitization objectives and, on the other, reducing dependence on imports of critical raw materials needed for the continent's economy.
Why not bring them back full circle and thus make our contribution to the circular economy and a sustainable future for generations to come? It's that easy!
By recycling e-waste correctly, it is possible to bring the valuable raw materials found in discarded items back into the economy. This reduces the need for mining, minimizes greenhouse gas emissions and conserves our planet's natural resources.
When household appliances reach the end of their life, they can be recycled to extract minerals and materials before being sent back to manufacturers as secondary raw materials. This significantly reduces dependence on primary resources while stimulating a circular economy.
How to do this?
By returning waste electrical and electronic equipment free of charge to retail outlets that sell such equipment when you buy a new appliance of a similar type and performing the same functions. The old appliance is taken away when the new one is delivered.
By returning, free of charge, very small-sized waste electrical and electronic equipment (where no external dimension exceeds 25 cm) to commercial establishments or to the entrance of establishments selling electrical and electronic equipment with a commercial area greater than or equal to 400 m2. It is not necessary to purchase equipment of this kind.
By calling a salvage organization to remove appliances that have become waste.
