{"id":9114,"date":"2026-10-14T07:35:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-14T06:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/w3e.nl\/?p=9114"},"modified":"2026-10-14T08:55:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T07:55:06","slug":"international-e-waste-day-what-do-you-do-with-your-old-it-equipment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/w3e.nl\/en\/international-e-waste-day-wat-doet-u-met-uw-oude-it-apparatuur\/","title":{"rendered":"International E-waste Day: what do you do with your old IT equipment?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Today is the weather <\/span>International E-waste Day<\/span><\/i>. This day was established in 2018 by the WEEE Forum (<\/span>Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment<\/span><\/i>). The goal of this initiative is clearer and more urgent than ever: to raise global awareness of the enormous mountain of electronic waste and the importance of e-waste recycling among consumers and businesses. A mission that W3E always \u2013 and today even a little extra \u2013 contributes to. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The theme of this year: worries <\/span>fast tech<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n

This year the international focus of the event is on <\/span>fast tech<\/span><\/i>. This is the rapidly growing stream of small, inexpensive electronics that people often buy impulsively and quickly throw away again. Think of cheap charging cables, disposable vape devices, mini fans or earbuds. Although at W3E we focus on business IT equipment and therefore do not work with <\/span>fast tech<\/span><\/i>, We do worry about this development. It is precisely this small electronics that too often ends up in the ordinary trash. This leads to the unnecessary loss of valuable raw materials. This once again emphasizes to us how important it is to process electronic waste properly.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Why is awareness of e-waste so important? <\/span><\/h2>\n

The mountain of electronic waste (both small gadgets and large business computers) is growing at an enormous pace worldwide. All these old devices contain scarce raw materials, such as copper, silver, and gold. If we just throw these devices away or let them accumulate without being used, these precious materials will be depleted. Moreover, e-waste often contains harmful substances, such as lead or mercury. If these end up in the environment without proper processing, this has major consequences for our planet.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What is the current state of recycling? <\/span><\/h2>\n

Unfortunately, globally only a very small portion of e-waste is officially recycled safely and registered. Many individuals and even companies keep discarded devices unused. In the Netherlands, compared to other countries, we are fortunately already doing much better when it comes to collection. Yet we see that there is still a tremendous amount of room for improvement, especially within the business market where volumes are large.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What are the opportunities for your organization? <\/span><\/h2>\n

We can better manage business e-waste in several ways. It all starts with preventing waste: ensure your equipment lasts longer by maintaining it properly. If a laptop or server is no longer fast enough for your organization, it can often still be fine. <\/span>reused by another party<\/span><\/a>. And if a device is truly unusable or defective, professional, high-quality recycling is the only right step. This way we preserve the raw materials for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What does e-waste recycling bring you? <\/span><\/h2>\n

By letting W3E process your decommissioned IT equipment, you are not only choosing sustainability. As an organization, you will also immediately experience the following benefits:<\/span><\/p>\n