The Belgian organisation responsible for recycling electronic and electrical appliances, Recupel, gathered more than 127,000 tonnes of electronic waste in 2023.
This number is on the rise, approaching the record set in 2021, after a decrease in 2022. In total, 127,852 tonnes of used electronic devices were collected in 2023, of which over 90% were household appliances. The remaining waste comprised of professional equipment, such as refrigerators and restaurant equipment, which saw a 35.8% increase in collection from the previous year.
On average, each Belgian returned 11 kg of electrical items to recycling points, which was 700 g more than in 2022, and significantly higher than the European average of 7.5 kg.
Large appliances such as washing machines and dryers accounted for over 25% Recupel's collected items, totalling 27,882 tonnes, marking a 4.2% increase compared to 2022. They were followed by fridges and freezers at 25,048 tonnes (+8.2%).
Collections of televisions and monitors decreased to 8,989 tonnes (-4%). However, the number of light bulbs turned in for recycling saw an increase of 4.3% to 1,270 tonnes, as did the number of smoke detectors, which jumped by 250.7% to 12 tonnes.
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All other items, including small appliances such as mobile phones and chargers, fell in the 'other' category. These made up over two thirds of the recycled appliances, equating to 44,550 tonnes (+6.1%).
Out of this total, 6,764 tonnes (up from 4,900 tonnes in 2022) were reintroduced into the reuse cycle, according to the organisation, giving these appliances a second life.
"There are still an untapped 50 million electronic devices in our homes," said Recupel CEO Eric Dewaet. He predicts that there will be more targeted campaigns this year to collect an even higher number of devices.
