On 14 October 2025, International E-Waste Day (IEWD) will shine a global spotlight on critical raw materials – the hidden ingredients of modern technology. Cobalt powers our batteries. Neodymium drives powerful magnets. Copper runs the wiring that keeps the world connected. Without them, smartphones wouldn’t switch on, solar panels wouldn’t generate power and electric vehicles wouldn’t move an inch.
These materials are finite, increasingly scarce and often mined at significant environmental and social cost. Meanwhile, demand is climbing at breakneck speed as our appetite for technology shows no sign of slowing. The irony? Many of the resources we are chasing are already within reach. Millions of unused devices languish in cupboards, lofts and the infamous ‘drawer of doom’, all brimming with recoverable value.
Understanding the problem
E-waste – or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) – includes everything from fridges, washing machines and vacuum cleaners to laptops, mobiles and even vapes. It is one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. Part of the problem is pace: as products become more advanced, lifespans shrink, meaning devices are discarded far sooner than in the past.
WEEE is also astonishingly diverse, falling into six main categories: temperature exchange equipment; large equipment; lamps; screens and monitors; small equipment; and small IT and telecom devices – with a total of 77 sub-categories.
A joint WEEE Forum and United Nations Institute for Training and Research study found that UK households own an average of 74 electrical items, 13 of which sit unused – nine still working, four broken. Multiply this across the country and it amounts to millions of forgotten devices and appliances gathering dust instead of being recycled. Add those unused or broken in the workplace and the final figure is astronomical – and sobering. In fact, the UK generated approximately 1.7 billion kg of e-waste in 2022, according to The Global E-waste Monitor 2024.
Yet each of these items holds potential value. Returning them through proper collection channels keeps critical raw materials in use, reduces the environmental burden of sourcing new resources and supports the circular economy. In short, what looks like waste is an untapped resource.
At the same time, however, the recovery process introduces other practical questions, particularly for businesses, such as the safeguarding of information. Ensuring that items containing sensitive data are erased safely and securely is paramount.
As Sammy Badraia, ITAD Manager at commercial waste firm Recorra, told Workplace360: “A safe IT asset disposition (ITAD) service is vital to ensure every business’s security. Once data is securely destroyed, redundant equipment can be reused, repaired, parts harvested, recycled or disposed of sustainably.
“By returning perfectly good items to the circular economy, we help smaller businesses access great equipment at a reduced price, while ensuring all organisations meet their compliance, security and environmental responsibilities.”
Wired for success
As part of IEWD 2025, independent not-for-profit organisation Material Focus is again running The Great Cable Challenge. Last year, more than 200 collection points at schools, libraries, shops and offices recovered tonnes of electricals.
Most households and workplaces have a drawer of doom full of old chargers and cables, and the campaign has produced a visual Cable Guide to make recycling simple. According to Material Focus, the average UK household is holding on to over 20 cables, each containing valuable materials. Copper, for example, is 100% recyclable and doing so uses up to 85% less energy than mining new metal, making it a high-impact target for resource recovery.
Dealer tips
Dealers can play a crucial role in supporting the circular economy and helping customers recycle responsibly. Here’s how to make the most of International E-Waste Day 2025:
- Offer take-back and collection services: Encourage customers to speak to their employees about any drawers of doom and provide collection boxes and pick-ups for old devices, small electricals, cables, chargers or vapes. Include e-waste audits to help customers decide whether items should be repaired, donated or recycled.
- Partner with accredited recyclers and repairers: Work with approved WEEE recyclers or local repair shops to ensure items are processed safely and sustainably, including secure IT asset disposition for devices containing data.
- Educate staff and customers: Highlight what can be recycled, why it matters and where to take items. Promote the benefits of devices that can be easily repaired, upgraded or remanufactured, along with the energy and resource savings from recycling critical raw materials such as copper.
- Collaborate locally: Team up with educational establishments, councils, charities, community groups or other local businesses to host collection drives or donation programmes for unwanted but working equipment. Encourage employees and customers to bring in devices for recycling or refurbishment.
- Leverage campaigns: Use e-waste initiatives such as The Great Cable Challenge as conversation starters to show how your business supports compliance, ESG goals and the circular economy.
- romote circular thinking: Showcase recycled-material products, refurbished tech and recycling initiatives. Publicise your impact by sharing the amount of e-waste diverted from landfill via social media, your website or in-store displays.
- Expand your offering: Integrate WEEE recycling or refurbishment services as standard into customer contracts and solutions, creating new revenue streams while helping clients meet environmental responsibilities.
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