Electronics
The market demand for household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is expected to grow continuously as most of this equipment is essential to our daily lives.
WEEE generated by households usually contains a significant concentration of metals. For some, the concentration of WEEE may be even higher than in remaining ores; this offers a great opportunity for sustainable sourcing of technology metals from metal-rich WEEE.
In this section, we will share our observations on the current and future state of the embedded materials, components and the potential demand and supply challenges involved.
Supply and demand
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE)
Legal and regulatory considerations
- More ambitious and robust collection targets are required
- Current recycling targets are based on overall weight of product; this is a somewhat crude and broad-based target, as it does not incentivise recovery of the most critical or valuable minerals. More specific targets, focused on critical minerals, would be far more effective in improving value from recycling
- Introducing obligations in regard to minimum recycled content would help level the playing field, given that the price of virgin materials can be higher than the cost of recycled material
- Repair, remanufacture and product longevity measures are required to enhance the circular economy loop and to extract maximum value from products
- Introduction of incentives to return or recycle, or penalties for failure to do so
- Improving overall compliance with end-of-life and EPR rules, and more robust enforcement
- The Waste (Household Waste Duty of Care) (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 (opens in a new tab)
- Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 (opens in a new tab)
