700 million neglected phones worth €65B
Every year, Europeans waste strategic raw materials valued at over €65 billion from discarded electronic devices, piling up around 700 million unused smartphones containing approximately 50,000 tons of essential materials such as copper, lithium, and cobalt. Europe produces more than 13 million tons of electronic waste annually, and poor waste management prevents the recovery of many valuable metals and components, leading to a significant loss of resources. The study calls for the design of devices that are easier to reuse and recycle, aiming to reduce the need for new materials by up to 50% and to turn electronic waste into a secure industrial resource rather than an environmental problem.
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