Europe Ramps Up Innovation to Tackle Electronic Waste Through Reuse and Repair

Europe’s electronics consumption continues to rise, and with it the challenge of managing electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste. Around 5 million tonnes of e-waste are collected in the European Union each year, equivalent to more than 11 kilograms per household. This represents less than 40 percent of the total weight of electronics placed on the EU market annually. The gap highlights the urgent need for solutions that address the full lifecycle of electronic devices, from design and use to reuse, repair, and recycling.

To fill this gap, the EU is investing in research and innovation projects that promote circularity in the electronics sector. One notable example is the SUSTRONICS project, which runs until 2026 and brings together dozens of partners across Europe. Its work focuses on redesigning electronics from the ground up, improving durability, reducing material use, and embedding repairability into new product architectures. The goal is to significantly cut waste generation by engineering products that last longer and can be more easily repaired or upgraded.

From Recycling to Repair and Reuse

Recycling remains essential, but European policymakers and researchers increasingly emphasise that recycling alone is not enough. Many assessments conclude that repair and reuse deliver greater resource efficiency and carbon savings because the emissions embedded in device manufacturing are preserved when products stay in use.

The E6 project, short for Ecosystems for Extended-lifetime of End-of-Use Electrical and Electronic Equipment, is helping cities and regions build robust reuse and repair ecosystems. In practice, this can mean establishing community repair cafés, digital service hubs, second-hand shops, and municipal reuse stations. In one pilot, a city located a repair café and a refurbished electronics store directly at its waste-collection point, leading to higher customer engagement and more items diverted from disposal.

Designing Electronics for Circularity

On the design front, the EECONE project is working with more than 50 organisations to create tools, methods, and design guidelines for circular electronics. This includes work on modular product design, standardised components, and materials that can be more easily separated and recycled. The project’s results are expected to guide manufacturers in creating electronics that are reliable, repairable, reusable, and more easily dismantled at the end of life.

Future applications could include smartphones with modular screens and batteries, laptops with easily replaceable circuit boards, and small appliances designed with accessible spare parts. Standardising components and simplifying designs could significantly lower the barriers for independent repair services and reduce costs for consumers. It would also allow manufacturers to recover high-value materials while reducing the need for energy-intensive extraction.

Why This Matters for Net-Zero and Industry

Electronic devices carry a significant carbon footprint, with most of their emissions occurring during manufacturing. Extending the lifespan of devices, therefore, directly reduces emissions by lowering the demand for new production. Many devices also contain critical raw materials such as rare earth elements, which are energy-intensive to mine and subject to global supply constraints. Reuse and repair strategies help ease pressure on these supply chains and accelerate Europe’s transition to a more resilient circular economy.

For the industry, the shift opens opportunities to redesign business models around service, repair, and refurbishment. Retailers and manufacturers can diversify revenue streams by offering repair services, selling refurbished products, or adopting subscription-based device-as-a-service models. At the same time, the growth of reuse markets creates new jobs in repair, testing, refurbishment, and logistics.

Policymakers are also playing a critical role. The European Parliament has approved a right-to-repair framework that requires spare parts to be available for several years after a product is sold, guarantees access to repair information, and obliges manufacturers to prioritise repair over replacement when products are under warranty. Member states are beginning to translate these principles into national legislation, helping accelerate the circular transformation of the electronics sector.

Practical Implications for Stakeholders

• Manufacturers: Circular design is becoming a core expectation. Companies must develop products that can be disassembled, repaired, and upgraded, supported by clear documentation and spare-part availability.

• Retailers and service providers: The repair and refurbishment market is growing quickly, offering new commercial opportunities and customer segments.

• Consumers and organisations: Longer product lifespans can lower total ownership costs, while refurbished electronics provide lower-impact alternatives to buying new.

• Regulators: Policymakers must ensure a level playing field by enforcing right-to-repair rules, supporting local repair infrastructure, and creating incentives for reuse.

• Waste-management operators: The focus is shifting upstream. Repair, refurbishment, and reuse are becoming essential parts of municipal strategies to reduce waste streams.

Challenges Ahead

Despite progress, significant challenges remain. Many devices are still built with complex or adhesives-based designs that are hard to disassemble. Repair networks remain uneven across countries and regions. Access to spare parts is not always guaranteed, and consumers may still default to replacing rather than repairing. To overcome these barriers, EU-funded projects are developing replicable models, digital tools, and best-practice frameworks to help scale circular solutions across Europe.

Outlook

Europe’s push to reduce e-waste aligns with broader climate and sustainability goals. By redesigning electronics for longevity and developing strong repair and refurbishment ecosystems, the EU aims to significantly cut waste, reduce emissions, and conserve critical materials. As these initiatives progress, everyday electronics, from household devices to industrial equipment, can become part of a more circular, resource-efficient future.

Source: projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu