Reacción a "Only 54% of electronic waste is collected correctly in Europe"

The FutuRaM – 2050 Critical Raw Materials Outlook report on electrical and electronic waste is part of the European FutuRaM project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme. Its main objective is to assess the future demand and availability of critical raw materials, as well as recycling and recovery rates in six categories of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) — including refrigeration appliances, small equipment (microwaves, toasters, radios, electronic cigarettes, etc.), screens and monitors, etc.—in order to support data-driven policies to strengthen the European Union's material autonomy and circular economy.

The report is implemented in the EU27, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (EU27+4). The study is based on a robust and standardised methodology, using stock and flow models applied individually to the EU27+4 countries. The model integrates data observed up to 2022 and projections up to 2050 under three scenarios: the current scenario, a recovery scenario and a circular economy scenario. Harmonised databases from official statistics, scientific literature and verified waste samples are used to simulate losses and recoveries at each stage of treatment, giving the report a high degree of technical reliability.

In 2022, 10.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electrical and electronic waste were generated in the EU27+4, containing 1 Mt of 29 critical raw materials, such as copper, aluminium, neodymium and palladium. Currently, only 54% of electrical and electronic waste is collected and recycled appropriately. By 2050, electronic waste is expected to increase to between 12.5 and 19 Mt depending on the scenario considered, and critical raw materials to between 1.2 and 1.9 Mt.

The FutuRaM approach extends the framework of the ProSUM project and the WEEE and Critical Raw Materials Directives, incorporating for the first time long-term modelling (2010–2050) and a common methodology applicable to various waste streams.

The integration of the results into the Urban Mine Platform digital platform represents a key innovation, as it allows critical material “hot spots” to be visualised and facilitates industrial and political decision-making. Among the main limitations, the report estimates the “theoretical availability” of critical materials, without assessing actual recovery in end-of-life plants. 

Furthermore, batteries are excluded from the dataset and a uniform product composition across Europe is assumed, which could mask national variations.

The study is highly relevant for Spain, a country with a growing volume of WEEE and a low recovery rate of strategic materials.

The main recommendations of the study are:

• Strengthen the selective collection and traceability of WEEE.
• Encourage eco-design of products to facilitate repair and disassembly.
• Invest in technologies for the separation and refining of elements such as rare earths and platinum group metals.

Overall, FutuRaM provides a solid basis for guiding European resource and circular economy policy until 2050, positioning electronic waste as a key pillar for the EU's material independence.