Creating a Circular Economy for Electronics

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As global connectivity grows, responsible innovation linked to environmental and circular goals is vital in digital technologies’ lifecycle. With expanding digital society and more electronic devices, e-waste and ICT-related carbon emissions will keep increasing.

ITU’s Development Bureau ​has been given the mandate to tackle the growing quantities of e-waste, which it implements through its Creating a Circular Economy for Electronics Programme. The transition to a circular economy for electronics is a challenge for many governments and industry players.​​

In 2022, a record 62 billion kg of e-waste was generated globally (equivalent to an average of 7.8 kg per capita per year). Yet only 22.3 per cent of this e-waste mass was recorded to have been formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner. ​

Engage With U​s Starting 2025 T​hrough Circular Economy A​ctivities​

​​The Global E-waste M​onitor (next edition to be published in 2027): The triennial report is the world’s leading compendium of e-waste statistics and data, charting the path for decision makers and policymaking globally on e-waste. Monitors attract significant media attention given the very relatable topic of electronics and e-waste to most people worldwide. The 2024 edition, in particular, saw substantial global coverage. In the first 12 hours after its release, the Monitor was captured in 1,438 articles, on 1,176 news sites, in 30 languages and across 80 countries. Some of the leading media outlets followed the story, including CNN, Associated Press, Reuters, Fortune​ and many others. The lead United Nations (UN) partners are ITU and the UN Institute for Training and Research

The Global Electronics Management (GEM) Program (2026 – 2032): ITU is in the process of joining the GEM program which also includes other UN agencies such as the UN Industrial Development Organization. A call for interest is open to private sector ITU-D Members to participate alongside the UN in the implementation of the program. The program will have 4 components: enabling policies on circular electronics, cleaner production and sustainable consumption rates, resource efficient value chains across the electronics sector and knowledge management, communication and coordination. The program aims to promote environmentally sound e-waste management, support innovations in design for durability, repairability and recyclability, address hazardous substances in ICTs and facilitate public-private partnerships.

The Circular Electronics Partnership (2025 onwards): CEP is a coordination partnership led by 6 of the most influential global organizations, including ITU, dedicated to driving business solutions for a more sustainable world. ITU is a founding partner of the CEP, which brings cohesion to its partners’ initiatives for circular electronics through two strategic frameworks: The Circular Electronics System Map and the Circular Electronics Roadmap. These frameworks outline the CEP’s vision for a circular electronics industry and the actionable steps needed to get there. The Circular Electronics Roadmap identifies 40 actions along the product lifecycle. Through pre-competitive collaboration projects, the CEP addresses these actions, removing obstacles and unlocking crucial enablers for industry-wide transformation.

The Development and Implementation of E-waste Policy (2025 onwards): Having an e-waste policy or legislation in place is a significant first step for a country towards creating a system of environmentally sound e-waste management, transitioning to a circular economy for electronics and increasing the among of e-waste collected and recycling. Those countries with e-waste legislation in place have on average a collection rate of 25 per cent whereas the majority of those without legislation have a collection rate close to zero. The majority of ITU Member States lack appropriate legal instruments governing e-waste management. To assist ITU Member States in balancing their economic and social development with environmental management, ITU provides a programme dedicated to e-waste policy and regulatory development. Over the years, ITU has been implementing circular economy policy projects financially supported donors and implemented in close collaboration with governments, industry, UN agencies and other international organizations.​

The Pillars of Creating a Circular Economy for Electronics Programme​​

The primary objective of the Creating a Circular Economy for Electronics programme is to increase the global adoption of environmentally sound, harmonized circular economy e-waste regulatory frameworks and improve worldwide e-waste data and statistics. While the programme has four main activities through which you can engage, there are two main pillars around which the programme is structured. Learn more about each pillar:​

Countries and Regions S​upported​​​

Click on each country to consult their current e-waste status and learn about ongoing and previous circular-economy related projects.