E-waste: 257 thousand tons collected in Italy in 2022, down by 8%

In 2022, 257,705 tons of WEEE (waste from electrical and electronic equipment) were collected in Italy in 2022: down by 11% compared to 2021, when they were 290,880. These are the results that emerge from the 2022 Sustainability Report of Erion, the Italian e-waste collection consortium that managed 68% of domestic WEEE, 90% recycled, and in a note observes: «Thanks to their correct management, over 220,000 tonnes of secondary raw materials were reintroduced into the production cycles and the emission into the atmosphere of almost 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 was avoided».

The collection of small household appliances is down

Specifically, 10,092 tons of batteries and accumulators, 1,367 tons of professional waste and 246,246 tons of domestic WEEE were collected, down by almost 8% compared to the previous year. The decrease particularly affected the collection of small appliances and IT (category R4), with 19,289 tonnes and a drop of 17% compared to 2021, and of TVs and monitors (category R3), at 44,645 tonnes, with a decrease of 10% on 2021, where the failure to extend the TV scrapping bonus affected. Instead, the collection of light sources (category R5) grew, with 218 tons and a growth of 17%.

At a geographical level, the most virtuous regions are Lombardy – the region with the highest number of collection points: 2,448 out of 12,153 throughout Italy – with a total of 42,910 tons of WEEE collected, followed by Veneto with just over 23 thousand tons, compared to 1,319 withdrawal points, and Emilia-Romagna with just under 22 thousand tonnes in the 988 withdrawal points available in the area.

We need to improve the collection rate

«This year’s results, which have dropped significantly, are a wake-up call that must push us to work with even greater commitment, both at an institutional and supply chain level, to improve the collection rate of this type of waste. Recycling works, but this waste must be collected in ever greater quantities to make an even more significant contribution to the Italian economy. And to make this happen, we have to stop keeping them in drawers, in the cellar or entrusting them to unauthorized parties just because it’s more convenient. We must confer them correctly by taking advantage of the free services that we all have available”, commented Danilo Bonato, director of the Erion Compliance Organization

«E-waste is confirmed as a strategic resource to support national industry and to make our economy more circular, yet we do not fully exploit its potential. It is necessary to increase and facilitate the conferment possibilities for citizens and, in the case of WEEE, to counteract the phenomenon of the parallel market. At the same time, we need to invest in awareness-raising actions: the contribution of every single citizen is essential to build a culture of attention to the use of resources and sustainable consumption», concluded Bonato.