Bulgaria collected more waste electrical and electronic equipment per person than any other EU country in 2024, at 18.9 kg, according to Eurostat data released Wednesday. Czechia followed with 17.8 kg per person and France with 17.7 kg.
Bulgaria was also one of only four EU countries to meet the 65% collection target based on the amount of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in the three preceding years.
A total of 28.51 kg of new electrical and electronic equipment per person was placed on the Bulgarian market in 2024, putting the difference between equipment placed on the market and e-waste collected at 9.61 kg per person.
Across the EU, 12.3 kg of waste electrical and electronic equipment, or e-waste, was collected per person in 2024, while 32.4 kg of new electrical and electronic equipment per person was placed on the market. The latter category includes products such as household appliances, smartphones, computers and photovoltaic panels. Eurostat said the amount of e-waste collected in the EU reached 5.5 million tonnes in 2024, up from 3.2 million tonnes in 2015.
The gap between equipment placed on the market and waste collected reflects, among other things, devices that remain in use, are stored in households pending disposal or enter informal waste-treatment channels.
Between 2015 and 2024, the amount of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the EU market rose by 79%, from 18.1 kg to 32.4 kg per person. Large equipment, including washing machines, dishwashers and photovoltaic panels, was the main driver of the increase. The amount per person changed little between 2022 and 2024.
E-waste collection grew more slowly, from 7.3 kg per person in 2015 to 12.3 kg in 2024. Compared with 2023, the amount collected increased by 0.7 kg per person. In absolute terms, Eurostat said collected e-waste increased by 72% between 2015 and 2024.
At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus collected 4.7 kg of e-waste per person, Portugal 6.0 kg and Malta 6.4 kg.
Austria recorded the largest amount of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in 2024, at 38.2 kg per person, followed by Germany at 38.0 kg and Denmark at 37.0 kg. Cyprus had the lowest figure, at 15.4 kg per person, followed by Slovakia at 17.5 kg and Greece at 18.0 kg.
In every EU country for which data were available, the weight of equipment placed on the market in 2024 exceeded the amount of e-waste collected. The smallest gap was in Slovakia, at 6.4 kg per person. In Spain, 36.0 kg of equipment per person was placed on the market compared with 9.3 kg collected as waste, while in Germany the figures were 38.0 kg and 11.0 kg, respectively.
Eurostat said that in 2024 the EU-wide WEEE collection rate stood at 39%, well below the 65% target. Bulgaria recorded a collection rate of 83.1% under the methodology based on the average amount of equipment placed on the market in the three previous years. Slovakia, Czechia and Latvia also met the 65% target.
Bulgaria Leads EU in E-Waste Collection at 18.9 Kg per Person in 2024 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-14 11:31:30
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