Londoners spend £3.3bn per year on electrical and electronic items on an estimated 273,000 tonnes of devices. Discarded electricals and electronics are significant contributors to London’s current waste volumes, while the embodied impacts from electrical and electronic products used in London contribute an estimated 1.7mt of CO2e each year.
Why is action on WEEE important?
Waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is now the fastest growing waste stream in the UK and globally. The UK generates up to 24.9kg per head and throws 155,000 tonnes of WEEE in household bins every year.
The electrical and electronic goods industry operates on a traditional linear business model based on high throughput of goods. Less than 35% of EEE placed on the market is recovered, meaning that the vast majority is sent to landfill, incinerated or illegally exported to other countries at its end of life.
There is a significant opportunity for Londoners to save some of the £3.3bn spent on new electrical and electronic products annually and move towards a low-carbon circular economy by shifting consumption habits e.g. choosing to purchase more durable products, keeping products in use for longer through repair and maintenance and giving them a second life through sales, donation, repair and informal re-use.
How is ReLondon driving a circular economy for electrical and electronics?
ReLondon is helping to build an evidence base that will inform effective strategies to reduce waste and promote circular economy practices. We’re collaborating with partners via the One World Living theme of London Councils’ climate programme to promote circular economy opportunities across the city.
