site.btaBulgaria Ranks Last in EU in Recycling of Old Computers, Laptops, Tablets and Mobile Phones in 2022

Bulgaria ranks last in the EU for recycling old computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones in 2022, according to data by Eurostat, published on Friday.

One in five people (19%) in the EU kept their desktop computers at home, 13% of people recycled their old desktop computers, 8% gave them away or sold them and 2% threw them away. The rest of the respondents either never purchased desktop computers, continue to use their existing devices, or have taken other actions with them.

The share of Bulgarians who recycled their old laptops was the lowest in the EU in 2022 - 3.4%, the EU average was 12.8%.

In terms of recycling old laptops and tablets, Bulgaria also ranked last, with only 2% of citizens recycling in 2022. The EU average was 9.7%.

Bulgaria also ranked last in terms of mobile phone recycling, with 4% of old phones recycled last year, compared to an EU average of 10.3%.

The Netherlands (15%) and Romania (13%) reported the highest shares of people who gave or sold their old desktop computer to someone else.

Old laptops and tablets were also mainly kept in the household by a third(33%). Again, only 10% of people in the EU recycled their old laptops or tablets, 11% gave them away or sold them and 1% threw them away. The rest of the respondents either never purchased laptops or tablets, continue to use their existing devices, or have taken other actions with them.

The largest proportion of people recycling their old laptops or tablets was observed in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, all close to 18% of individuals, followed by Greece (17%) and Croatia (15%).

Croatia (35%) and France (15%) reported the highest shares of people who gave or sold their old laptop or tablet to someone else.

The main destination of the ICT devices that are no longer in use was the home of their owner. Almost half of people (49%) kept their old mobiles or smartphones in the household.

Only 10% of people in the EU recycled their old mobile phone or smartphone, 17% gave it away or sold it to someone outside the household and 2% threw it away without recycling. The rest of the respondents either never purchased mobiles or smartphones, continue to use their existing devices, or have taken other actions with them.

Greece (18%), Austria (17%) and Czechia (15%) reported the highest rates of people who recycled their old mobiles or smartphone in 2022, followed by Denmark (14%) and several countries close to 12% (Poland, Spain, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands). 

Croatia (32%) and the Netherlands (24%) reported the highest shares of people who gave or sold their old phone to someone else.