E-waste & Environmental Sustainability: The Role of Electronics Recycling
What is e-waste?
E-waste can be simply defined as anything that has either a plug, a battery, or is no longer in use.
This Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) can be generated due to the item being broken, outdated or no longer of any use in either the home or business environment.
Grant Barton, last updated 26/06/25
Global e-waste challenge
According to Business Waste e-waste is the world’s fastest growing solid state waste stream, accounting for 50 million tonnes of waste generated each year. In context that is eight and a half times heavier than the Great Pyramid of Giza. This huge amount of discarded waste leads to these figures:
E-waste in the UK
In the UK the figures are even more startling. In a study by U-Switch, nearly 20,000 tonnes of WEEE were produced in the UK in 2008, sharply rising to 52,000 tonnes in 2016. Today, the UK produces 6 million tonnes of e-waste collectively each year, with 38,000 tonnes of this e-waste coming from IT and telecoms companies alone.
The social and environmental dangers of e-waste
All electrical items contain various chemicals and materials that are considered hazardous to both humans and the environment. Toxic substances such as heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, and nickel), flame retardants, other toxic materials such as arsenic, lead, and plasticisers can all be present in electronic waste. If not managed correctly, they run the risk of leaking into surrounding waters and soil, contaminating the environment and posing as a threat to people who live near the disposal unit.
Recovering precious materials
Improperly treated materials can become a hazard. E-waste is rich in valuable base and precious metals that can be extracted and recycled. This recovery process supports sustainable material use and lessens the demand for new resources. Metals like copper, tin, and iron are frequently found in e-waste, have further industrial uses, and can be used in manufacturing new equipment.
Business responsibility – Legal requirements
Under The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 the Government has set out to reduce the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) incinerated or sent to landfill sites. Distributors and producers of e-waste under the legislation are legally obligated to offer WEEE collection services, accept WEEE from customers, record WEEE taken back, and provide access to written information on the service provided. Today, the UK Government have now proposed a change to current legislation which re-classifies online retailers as producers, which means they are now responsible to manage all their e-waste which comes to the UK.
Recycling services provided by S2S Group
As a certified waste treatment facility S2S Group can offer businesses a large range of WEEE recycling, collection, and disposal services in order to comply with UK legislation as a registered waste carrier. Holding all relevant environmental permits, S2S Group can provide companies and organisations with bins and containers to hold waste, collect it, and then treat it at its approved facility.
S2S Group can recycle most electrical equipment such as medical electrical equipment, circuit boards, memory holding media, and monitors. In addition, S2S Group has the ability to recycle metals found in waste equipment and collect power sources such as batteries ready for recycling. If your business has an e-waste recycling requirement, get in touch with the expert customer service team here.