European homes hold 65B euros in metals from discarded phones

A recent study has revealed that European households contain approximately 700 million discarded electronic devices, representing a reservoir of precious metals valued at up to 65 billion euros, including gold, cobalt, and tungsten. Most European families keep an average of 13 unused devices, of which 9 are still functional and 4 are broken, yet none are recycled, leading to the waste of critical natural resources that account for 75% of the devices' value. Official electronic waste collection rates do not exceed 40%, reflecting a lack of recycling initiatives. Improving maintenance and disassembly processes could cut Europe's reliance on raw material imports by up to half and reduce economic and environmental risks.

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