Europe wants to collect and recycle more e-waste. That is why waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has a clear collection target: 65%.

But how many European countries are reaching that target today? And how does Belgium compare with the rest of Europe?

How much e-waste does Europe collect?

According to the latest comparable Eurostat figures, the average e-waste collection rate in the European Union was 37.5% in 2023.

Only a limited number of Member States reached the European target using the standard calculation. Only Bulgaria, Latvia and Slovakia reached 65%. Poland met its target using the alternative calculation method, based on the amount of WEEE generated.

So for most of Europe, the 65% e-waste target remains a serious challenge.

Why is collecting 65% of e-waste so difficult?

Electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market today does not automatically return to the official collection streams as e-waste a few years later.

Devices:

• stay in use for longer;
• are kept at home;
• are sold second-hand or reused;
• can end up outside the official collection channels.

Differences in infrastructure, awareness, illegal trade and reporting methods also play a role.

How is Belgium doing?

For Belgium, we can already look beyond the 2023 European comparison figures. The results for reference year 2025 are in, and they bring good news: Belgium achieved an e-waste collection rate of no less than 66.2%.

This means Belgium exceeds the European target of 65%. By comparison, the Belgian collection rate was still 61.93% in 2024.

Still, reliable reporting remains essential. It shows where e-waste ends up, how the different streams are evolving and where further progress is possible.

What we map better, we can also collect, reuse and recycle better.