Europe’s E-Waste Crisis Requires Clear Decisions from Policymakers and Businesses

by Kilian Kaminski, on Jul 8, 2026

Europe wants to position itself as a global leader in the circular economy. The targets are ambitious, the regulation comprehensive – and yet electronic waste remains the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide.

This is not a contradiction, but the result of a structural problem: Europe is becoming increasingly efficient at managing e-waste, but not at preventing it. The political focus still lies heavily on the end of the product lifecycle, even though the key decisions are made much earlier – in product design and in how quickly devices are replaced.

This is exactly where it is decided whether the circular economy actually reduces material consumption or merely manages the consequences of a linear system more efficiently.

Jan Kemper, Vorsitzender des refurbed Beirates © Franziska Kouidis

The Problem Is Growing Faster Than the Solution

Figures published by UNITAR show that 62 million tonnes of e-waste were generated globally in 2022. By 2030, that number is expected to reach 82 million tonnes. Even though Western consumer markets are shaped by similar consumption patterns, Europe remains the frontrunner: at 17.6 kilograms per capita, no other region generates more e-waste.

The main driver behind growing mountains of e-waste is clear: devices are being replaced too quickly. The average European household buys a new smartphone roughly every 2.5 years. Often not because the old device no longer works, but because repairs are perceived as too expensive or too complicated, while new models become available faster and appear economically more attractive.

The result is a system in which millions of fully functional devices leave the usage cycle prematurely – by design. Yet much of the political debate still focuses on what happens to these devices once they have already become waste. While this is important – and much still needs to improve in this area – intervention needs to happen much earlier.

Rising recycling rates are often treated as a sign of progress. In fact, the documented global collection and recycling rate in 2022 stood at 22.3 percent, compared to 42.8 percent in Europe (UNITAR, 2024). While these figures show improvements in handling e-waste, they do not address the root cause of the problem.

Businesses Determine the Actual Lifespan of Products

How long devices can actually be used is largely determined by businesses. Product design defines whether products become part of a functioning circular system or are replaced prematurely; whether a device remains repairable and whether a second use is economically viable (European Environment Agency, 2025).

These decisions are not made primarily at the regulatory level, but throughout development processes, supply chains and business models.

At the same time, the circular economy is increasingly no longer viewed solely as a sustainability issue: 97 percent of companies pursue circular business models for economic reasons as well, and more than 70 percent expect these approaches to increase revenues by 2027. With refurbed, we built a prime example of this: a profitable company founded with the goal of changing consumption patterns by directly contributing to the circular economy through refurbished products. Circular approaches are therefore evolving from a regulatory response into a strategic component of economic competitiveness.

Policy at the End of the Value Chain

The logic of the circular economy is clear: according to the so-called Waste Hierarchy, waste should first be avoided, products reused, and materials only recycled afterwards. Yet European regulation still primarily focuses on where the problem has already emerged: waste management.

The Right to Repair demonstrates that this issue is increasingly being recognised. At the same time, its implementation highlights how slowly structural change is progressing. The directive currently only applies to certain product categories, has not yet been fully implemented in many member states, and will only fully take effect from July 2026 onwards (Right to Repair Europe, 2024).

A similar pattern can be seen in the Ecodesign Regulation. While the regulatory focus is increasingly shifting towards durability and repairability, many requirements are introduced only gradually and weakened at key points: obligations for user-replaceable components have partly been removed, while spare part pricing remains only loosely regulated.

Refurbishment Remains Secondary

Our studies with Fraunhofer Austria show that refurbished devices can save significant amounts of emissions and resources such as energy, water and raw materials across global supply chains. At the same time, a larger share of value creation remains within Europe.

Yet despite this potential, refurbishment and reuse continue to play only a comparatively minor role. Refurbished devices still compete under structurally more difficult conditions than new products: tax disadvantages, missing standards and a fragmented single market significantly complicate scaling (DIGITALEUROPE, 2025).

Incentives Remain Misaligned

Regulation alone will not be sufficient as long as new devices remain structurally advantaged. This is one of the central challenges of European circular economy policy. In many cases, buying new products is still cheaper, easier and more convenient than repair or reuse.

The issue is therefore less a lack of interest in sustainability than a market environment that makes sustainable choices more difficult.

If the circular economy is to scale, incentives must shift accordingly. This includes tax advantages for refurbished products, stronger requirements for durability and repairability, as well as clearer rules defining which devices qualify as second-hand goods and which are exported as waste. Equally important is a European single market that facilitates cross-border reuse instead of slowing it down through differing national regulations.

From a Waste Question to a Systems Question

E-waste is often viewed as a waste management problem. In reality, however, it is primarily the result of a system built around rapid replacement cycles and continuous new production.

Europe fundamentally has many of the prerequisites needed to reshape this system: regulatory instruments, industrial capabilities, and growing awareness among consumers and businesses. The key question will be whether these factors can be aligned consistently.

The central question is therefore not whether a circular economy is technically possible. The question is whether policymakers and businesses are willing to reshape the framework conditions so that devices are actually used longer, repaired and reused – rather than simply disposed of more efficiently.

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