Electronic Waste Global Market Report 2025

The electronic waste market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $53.66 billion in 2024 to $58.1 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3%. The growth during the historic period can be attributed to the increasing use of consumer electronics, the rising obsolescence of electronic devices, the expansion of urban populations, greater affordability of electronic gadgets, and growing awareness of the environmental hazards associated with e-waste.

The electronic waste market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $79.44 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.1%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing regulatory pressure on e-waste disposal, the rising adoption of producer responsibility laws, growing demand for the recovery of rare earth metals, increasing investment in formal recycling infrastructure, and greater consumer awareness about proper disposal methods. Major trends expected during this period include technological advancements in e-waste separation systems, innovations in metal extraction from circuit boards, progress in eco-friendly dismantling techniques, research and development in battery recycling methods, and new solutions for sustainable material recovery.

The growing consumption of electronic products is expected to drive the expansion of the electronic waste (e-waste) market. Electronic products include a wide range of devices and appliances powered by electricity, such as smartphones, computers, televisions, and household gadgets. This surge in usage is largely driven by rising urbanization, increasing disposable incomes, and the accelerated pace of technological innovation. As more consumers adopt newer technologies, electronic products are replaced more frequently, leading to shorter device lifespans and greater volumes of e-waste. This has created an urgent need for efficient recycling and disposal solutions. For instance, in October 2023, the GSM Association reported that 80% of global mobile internet users now use 4G or 5G smartphones, marking a rise of 330 million users from 2022 to 2023. These trends are contributing significantly to the growing volume of electronic waste, propelling the demand for sustainable waste management solutions.

Companies in the electronic waste market are focusing on smart waste management technologies to improve the efficiency of collection, sorting, and recycling processes. Smart waste management utilizes technologies such as sensors, data analytics, and automation to streamline operations and reduce environmental harm. For example, in March 2022, AST Recycling (Pty) Ltd., a South Africa-based e-waste recycling company, introduced a secure electronic waste recycling bin at Jackal Creek Golf Estate. This initiative aimed to provide residents with an accessible and secure drop-off point for used electronics, ensuring responsible disposal and complete data sanitization while promoting regional sustainability in electronic waste recycling.

In March 2024, GreenBox Group Pty Limited, an Australia-based IT asset recycling and lifecycle management firm, acquired Remark-IT Solutions Limited for an undisclosed sum. This strategic acquisition enables GreenBox to expand its footprint into New Zealand and strengthen its capabilities in handling electronic waste. Remark-IT, a New Zealand-based company, specializes in sustainable technology asset lifecycle management, offering services that align with global best practices in e-waste recovery, refurbishment, and recycling.

Major players in the electronic waste market are Veolia Environnement S.A., Umicore SA, Waste Management Inc., Aurubis AG, Republic Services Inc., Boliden AB, Clean Harbors Inc., Sims Lifecycle Services Inc., Quantum Lifecycle Partners LP, Gazelle Inc., Stena Recycling AB, Enviro-Hub Holdings Ltd., Kuusakoski Recycling Oy, Call2Recycle Inc., Fortum Waste Solutions Oy, Nth Cycle Inc., All Green Electronics Recycling LLC, TechWaste Recycling LLC, HyProMag Limited, Surplus Service Inc.

North America was the largest region in the electronic waste market in 2024. The regions covered in electronic waste report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East and Africa.

The countries covered in the electronic waste market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Electronic waste (e-waste) refers to electrical or electronic devices such as smartphones, computers, televisions, and household appliances that have been discarded after reaching the end of their usable life. These devices often contain valuable materials like gold, silver, copper, and rare earth elements, which can be recovered through recycling. Proper management and recycling of e-waste are essential for reclaiming these valuable resources, reducing environmental pollution, and minimizing health risks associated with improper disposal.

The main types of e-waste include consumer electronics, industrial electronics, information technology equipment, household appliances, and telecommunication devices. Consumer electronics are intended for everyday use by individuals and are typically used for entertainment, communication, and productivity in homes or offices. The recycling of e-waste involves various processes such as pre-processing, material recovery, refining, re-manufacturing, and repair or refurbishment. E-waste is categorized by material type into metals, plastics, circuit boards, and glass. It is also classified by the source of waste, which includes households, businesses and corporations, government and public institutions, educational institutions, and retailers or distributors.

The electronic waste market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides electronic waste market statistics, including the electronic waste industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with the electronic waste market share, detailed electronic waste market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the electronic waste industry. These electronic waste market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The electronic waste market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as collection, transportation, sorting, dismantling, recycling, refurbishment, data destruction, and safe disposal of electronic and electrical equipment. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The electronic waste market also includes sales of refurbished electronics, recovered raw materials such as metals, plastics, and reusable electronic components. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values and are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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