Table 1: UK E-waste in numbers - data gaps mean that number do not add up
1,714,000 tonnes |
Of electronics and electrical equipment (EEE) purchased in 2019 by households and businesses. This has fluctuated but was 1,743,505 tonnes in 2008 when items were generally heavier. |
23.9 kg |
Of E-waste generated per person in the UK. |
505,445 tonnes |
Of waste electronic and electrical equipment officially collected by the Waste Electrical sector in 2019. Down from a peak of 589,850 tonnes in 2016. |
155,000 tonnes |
Thrown away in domestic bins and being incinerated or landfilled in 2017 |
145,000 tonnes |
Of commercial electrical waste thrown away in skips with no evidence that is recycled in 2017 |
190,000 tonnes equivalent to 527 million |
Of small old unused electronical items hoarded by UK Households |
32,000 – 209,000 tonnes |
Of E-waste illegally exported from the UK to countries like Nigeria, Ghana and India. This includes items officially collected at local authority sites. |
20 |
average old, unused small electronics hoarded by each UK household. |
140 million, enough to go around the earth 5 times |
Cables held in people’s home across the UK |
159,000 bikes, 12,000 playground swings, 5 million life-saving defibrillators |
Could be made from the old laptops currently hoarded across the UK |
2.5%383 – 10%384 |
Estimated amount of Electronics that are re-used by others. |
Sources: Material Focus, Electrical waste–challenges and opportunities, 16 July 2020; Jim Puckett, Oral Evidence to EAC, 25 June 2020, Q74; Environment Agency, Statistical Data Set: Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in the UK, June 2020
382 WEEE Scheme Forum, Written evidence to EAC, (ELE0025), p 10.
Published: 26 November 2020 Site information Accessibility statement