International E-Waste-Day 2022: „Recycle it all, no matter how small!“
Whether it's smartphones, laptops or discarded coffee machines, some people find it difficult to dispose of electrical equipment properly. When functional electrical appliances are discarded by companies, they are now often given a second life by being donated to charitable organizations, given to employees or resold. Around 13 percent of consumers have already bought such an appliance. Among companies, the figure is only 4 percent, according to the Bitkom study "Digitalization and Sustainability in Business".
In private households, discarded electrical appliances still frequently end up in drawers, basements or attics. Around 4 out of 10 Germans hoard too many unused electrical appliances. However, valuable raw materials are wasted by old appliances lying around and are lost in the circular economy, as the raw materials used cannot be sustainably reused and thus preserved.
Raising awareness for the correct handling of electronic waste
October 14th is International E-Waste Day. This year, the campaign focuses on small electrical appliances. The motto "Recycle it all, no matter how small!" is intended to raise awareness among consumers of the urgent need to dispose of old appliances correctly.
Let go - even when it hurts
The Plan E campaign educates people about the proper disposal of e-waste in order to trigger climate-positive behavior. With the claim "Let go - even if it hurts," the awareness campaign has also been speaking out against the hoarding of waste electrical equipment since last year.
It can be disposed of free of charge at recycling centers or in stores. "We need to develop a seamless recycling economy in Germany and Europe - and this thrives on participation. Low-threshold offers help consumers dispose of discarded or defective appliances properly. Under no circumstances do they belong in the domestic waste," emphasizes Bitkom CEO Dr. Bernhard Rohleder.
Holding companies accountable
In order to make the electrical and electronic sector more resource-efficient and recyclable, companies should also extend the responsibility for their old equipment. The weee full-service informed in August about the upcoming changes in the law with the new version of the ElektroG amendment and also makes an important contribution to a sustainable and legally compliant behavior of its customers.
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