Research show that most Italians don’t properly dispose of WEEE, and how this affects the Country’s economy

A survey carried out by Ipsos for RENEW Project partner Erion shows that most Italians don’t properly dispose of Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment.

According to the research, 81% of citizens keep e-devices they no longer use, while 61% don’t even get rid of the broken ones: but what is holding Italians back from adopting virtuous habits?

39% think they can repair broken e-devices, 30% think they can use their spare parts, 23% claim not to know the correct disposal procedures, and 15% find it difficult to get to a collection point.

Moreover, 1 out of 6 Italians gets rid of small WEEE by throwing it in the general waste, in the plastic bin or in street dumpsters, while a large amount of it remains forgotten in drawers, cellars and attics.

This is a missed opportunity if we consider that it is exactly this kind of waste that contains lots of Critical Raw Materials, which are elements Italy is poor of, but that are essential for the development of industries strategic to the Country’s economy. In fact, the latest study carried out by The European House - Ambrosetti for Erion shows that Italy’s industrial production depends on the availability of CRM for 686 billion euros, that is 38% of the 2022 GDP.