The average person in the Netherlands still throws away too much electrical waste

Dutch people are still throwing too much of their disused electronics and other electric garbage in the rubbish bin, when it is supposed to be collected separately, said the foundation OPEN Dinsdag. This results in many valuable raw materials being lost, and can ensure that dangerous materials end up in the environment, according to the foundation.

The organization is responsible for collecting and recycling electrical devices on behalf of manufacturers. But it said that the average amount of electric waste collected per person in 2023 only increased by 100 grams compared to the previous year. That figure rose to 5.6 kilograms.

The three best-performing municipalities collected an average of 11.5 kilos of lamps, vapes, electric toys, and other e-waste per inhabitant. In comparison, the three municipalities at the bottom of the OPEN foundation's list collected only 1.46 kilos per inhabitant on average.

Steven van Eijck, the foundation chair, emphasized that "more has to be done to realize concrete improvements." For example, the foundation thinks that the opening times of the recycling centers should be more tailored to civilians' needs.

Municipalities should then communicate this information in a straightforward and easy-to-understand way to the residents so that they know when and where they can hand in their e-waste. "We have been pushing for this for a while but have been unsuccessful thus far," Van Eijck added.