Research undertaken by the electronics recycling agency Recupel reveals that the average Belgian household owns 106 electrical or electronic appliances. On average 12 of these are no longer in use. Recupel is the agency that collects and processes domestic appliances.
All told this works out at 55 million appliances gathering dust. Some are still in working order. Others are not. Recupel is appealing to people to hand in their unused appliances, because, with matters as they are, Belgium is missing out on a wealth of recyclable raw materials.
In 2024, Belgian households are believed to own an estimated 549 million electrical and electronic appliances. That's an average of 106 domestic appliances per household. There has been a steep increase in their number in recent years. In 2019, before the pandemic swept over Belgium, households still only owned 78 electrical appliances on average.
On average 12 of these 106 appliances, are no longer in use, be they broken or not. Mood lighting, bicycle lights, torches, electronic toys, extension cords, old smartphones are all lying about doing nothing.
Although they are no longer in use, they are collecting dust in the attic or remain in a drawer. Reasons for this are many. Owners often want to repair and reuse appliances, or make use of them for spare parts for a device that is still in use, but often never get around to reusing them. Some owners have difficulty handing in old appliances because an emotional value is attached to them.
20 per cent of respondents surveyed also noted there is no incentive to get rid of appliances. 13 per cent think recycling is too much hassle. 12 per cent do not know where to hand in appliances and a further 8 per cent simply do not even realise recycling is an option.
Second life for raw materials
Nevertheless, collection of electronics and recycling is an important route in efforts to protect our planet. Electronic and electrical appliances contain valuable raw materials including precious metals, plastics, iron and glass. ‘Our partners manage to give 90 per cent of these materials a second life,’ says Recupel CEO Eric Dewaet.
‘By recycling your appliance correctly today, you contribute to tomorrow's raw material production. The more raw materials we recycle locally, the less we depend on very polluting mining abroad,’ says Mr Dewaet.
It’s important that appliances are also recycled correctly, because a lot of domestic appliances still end up in the household waste, where they do not belong. ‘In this way, the appliances are simply incinerated, which is dangerous and very harmful for the environment,’ Mr Dewaet notes.
Where can I hand in my appliances?
If an appliance still works, you can take it to the recycle store. Broken electrical appliances can easily be handed in at the recycling park, in stores or at the supermarket.
‘We call on everyone to do their bit by clearing out cupboards, drawers and attics and bringing unused appliances to Recupel. It’s a small effort, but one with a positive impact on the planet,’ Mr Dewaet concludes.