Why Businesses Need to Take E-Waste Seriously

As E-Waste Day approaches on the 14th of October 2025, Sussex business owners should once again confront an uncomfortable dichotomy, and not be blinded by the bright future that technology and AI promise. Unfortunately, every electronic device has a limited shelf life.

E-waste (electronic waste) is the fastest growing type of waste in the UK, which alone produces 1.6 million tonnes per year (equating to 24kg per person, per year).

For local businesses, these environmental statistics shouldn’t explicitly be taken as a cause to be pessimistic. Instead, use this E-Waste Day to consider the opportunities available to you and see how you can improve on your existing e-waste habits or processes.

Discover the environmental impact of your electronic devices

Every discarded smartphone, laptop, tablet, computer screen, camera, or any other hardware often contains a plethora of precious metals. 

Electronics contain £1.5 billion worth of precious metals in the UK alone, yet less than 20% of electronic waste is currently recycled worldwide. This suggests that this abundance of valuable resources is being literally discarded absent-mindedly.

The metal separation process in electronics recycling reveals the true scale of this opportunity. Palladium, gold, copper, and silver combined represent large percentages of the value of all non-ferrous metals in printed circuit boards. Contemporary and advanced recycling facilities now use sophisticated processes and techniques to recover these materials efficiently.

Why we need to rethink our idea of disposal

The term “disposal” has taken on new connotations in recent years, and in many ways, it’s become redundant. As specialists BlakerTech poignantly argue, there is no proper way to dispose of obsolete goods or materials with the waste processes the way they are currently. 

Business owners should, therefore, rethink their end-of-life electronics strategies, particularly given that there is an increasing amount of evidence to suggest that many recycled goods actually end up not being repurposed at all. There’s recent data which suggests that most find their way to landfill.

How can businesses challenge this?

Sussex businesses face mounting pressure from multiple directions, if we’re looking at recent data. 

In Q1 2025 alone, approximately 400,256 metric tonnes of e-waste were collected in the UK, which is up from Q1 2024’s reported figure of 353,630 tonnes. That said, IT and telecoms e-waste has decreased in the last year by 797 tonnes, totalling 13,280, so there is reason to believe it’s improving.

Electronic devices don’t just contain precious metals that can be recycled; many also contain mercury, lead and cadmium, which are toxic to the atmosphere, particularly when landfill dumping or burning. These materials pollute air, water, and soil systems, causing a biodiversity concern as well.

Growth-minded and forward-thinking Sussex businesses are beginning to reimagine and reposition their e-waste strategies. Consider:

• Partnering with certified recycling companies that can properly separate and recover valuable metals
• Establishing internal collection systems for obsolete tech
• Incorporating circular economy principles into procurement, manufacturing and other processes
• Encouraging buy-back or reselling options to encourage equipment reuse

As global e-waste generation is projected to reach 74 million tonnes by 2030, nearly doubling in the space of a decade, businesses that act now will be ahead of the curve. This E-Waste Day, Sussex businesses have the chance to transform their approach to electronic disposal, restoring value whilst protecting the environment.