International E-Waste Day 2025 highlighted the race to recover critical raw materials

As the world marked International E-Waste Day on October 14, 2025, the spotlight this year fell on one of the most pressing and often overlooked aspects of the digital age — the recovery of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) from discarded electronics. The theme underscores growing global concern over how rapidly mounting e-waste is depleting valuable resources while fuelling environmental and health hazards.

The Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 estimates that 62 million tonnes of e-waste were generated worldwide in 2022, a figure expected to rise to 82 million tonnes by 2030. This makes e-waste one of the fastest-growing toxic waste streams globally. It is a complex category comprising both precious or valuable metals and hazardous constituents, with serious implications for human health and the environment.

The presence of CRMs in electrical and electronic appliances makes e-waste particularly significant in terms of its management challenges. For instance:

1. Silicon metals are present in semiconductors;

2. Lithium, cobalt and nickel are integral to electric vehicles; and

3. Tungsten aids the vibration technology in mobile phones.

What are CRMs?

The Royal Society of Chemistry defines CRMs as “materials that are important to a nation, region or sector’s economy and that are, or could become, difficult to get hold of”. A major portion of CRMs is often sourced from countries in the Global South, many of which are politically unstable or characterised by socio-economic uncertainties and adversities. Nevertheless, in an era of constantly shifting geopolitics and environmental policies, CRMs have taken centre stage. Their significance in modern economies — ranging across sectors such as renewable energy, defence and digitalisation, among others — is indisputable.

Globally demanded CRMs are, unfortunately, mined in only a handful of countries. For instance, within the European Union (EU) alone, China, South Africa and Turkey provide 100 per cent of the supply of heavy rare earth elements, 71 per cent of platinum and 98 per cent of boron, respectively. Due to this concentration, there is always a high risk of disruption in the supply chain. Accordingly, recovering CRMs from e-waste becomes a tactical priority to alleviate such risks.

However, the overall e-waste collection and CRM recovery rates remain very low. Whether in EU member states or countries in the Global South, almost every nation has failed to meet its targeted collection goals to date. The Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 estimated that only 22.3 per cent of e-waste generated in 2022 was collected and recycled, resulting in approximately $62 billion worth of recoverable natural resources being lost each year due to insufficient recycling efforts.

The global demand for CRMs shows no sign of waning. On the contrary, it is expected to surge beyond current supply logistics to support economic, social and environmental priorities such as the green and digital transitions. Considering this, it is crucial to raise awareness about the extraction of CRMs from e-waste, rather than mining them by destroying native, virgin environments that are beyond restoration.

Consumer involvement crucial

The focus of International E-Waste Day 2025 was CRMs. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum, which leads the event on October 14, 2025, argued that technology and legislation alone are not sufficient. It is up to consumers to take the most crucial step by bringing their end-of-use electrical and electronic appliances to dedicated collection points. It is important to set up e-waste collection facilities at short, accessible intervals to encourage responsible disposal practices.

Although there have been attempts to promote such practices in the developed world, these initiatives remain inadequate in developing countries and emerging economies. Countries like India, one of the world’s largest producers of e-waste, continue to struggle with implementing sustainable management and policy instruments for responsible disposal.

Further, it is imperative to ensure adequate privacy safeguards when collecting e-waste such as laptops or smartphones. Consumers are often reluctant to dispose of such items. One possible solution is to dismantle or destroy the e-waste in front of consumers to gain their confidence. Major logistical arrangements are instrumental to the success of such initiatives.

Often, electrical and electronic appliances are not even recognised by consumers as ‘e-waste’ due to a lack of awareness. The WEEE Forum points out that consumers frequently fail to identify small items such as out-of-use electronic toys, power tools, and vaping devices as e-waste. This highlights the urgent need for greater public awareness of this important waste stream.

Until consumers are willing to deposit their e-waste at designated collection points, access to CRMs from this category will remain limited, and the environmental burden of extractive activities will continue to be concentrated in a handful of countries.

Anwesha Borthakur is Humboldt Fellow, Rachel Carson Center, University of Munich, Germany

Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth