The increasing use of ICT equipment results in a growing amount of waste from old devices, such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, smartphones and desktop computers. This raises the question of what happens to ICT devices that are no longer required.
13% recycled their old desktop computers
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.
Sweden had the highest share of people (29%) recycling old desktop computers, ahead of the Netherlands (27%), while Finland, Denmark and Austria were all close to 20%.
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The Netherlands (15%) and Romania (13%) reported the highest shares of people who gave or sold their old desktop computer to someone else.
One third kept their old laptops and tablets, only 10% recycled
Old laptops and tablets were also mainly kept in the household (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.
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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.
Half of the people keep their old mobiles or smartphones at home
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.
More information
- Digitalistation in Europe – 2023 edition
- Statistics Explained article on green ICT – digital devices in households
- Statistics Explained article on digital economy and society statistics – households and individuals
- Thematic section on digital economy and society
- Database on digital economy and society
Methodological notes
The data presented in this article come from the 2022 edition of the survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals. The data refer to the most recent device respondents replaced/no longer use.
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