Cyprus ranks last in the EU for household electronics recycling

Cyprus sits at the bottom of the European Union ranking for recycling household appliances and electronics. At the same time, island residents buy the fewest new devices in Europe but recycle them worse than anyone.

According to Eurostat data for 2023, each resident of Cyprus purchased 14.8 kg of new electrical and electronic goods but only 3.8 kg were recycled. This is the lowest figure among all EU countries.

Despite modest sales volumes, much of the old equipment in Cyprus does not reach official collection points.

Televisions, washing machines and mobile phones often end up in garages, storage rooms or are handed over to uncertified collectors.

For comparison: with similar purchasing volumes, Bulgaria recycles 17.9 kg of electronics per person, Czechia — 16.8 kg, Austria — 15.9 kg.

Across the EU, the gap between purchases and recycling continues to grow. In 2023, each resident accounted for 32.2 kg of new devices and only 11.6 kg of recycled waste.
The difference of more than 20 kg per person shows that most devices are either still in use or stored without disposal.

Over the past eight years, electronics sales in Europe have increased by 78% — from 18.1 to 32.2 kg per person. Recycling volumes also grew, but much more slowly — by 60%, from 7.3 to 11.6 kg.
The leaders in new purchases remain the Netherlands (45.4 kg), Germany (38.9 kg) and Austria (35.1 kg).

Cyprus, however, closes the ranking along with Slovakia (15.8 kg) and Bulgaria (17.9 kg).

Experts note that without encouraging official recycling and controlling illegal waste collection, EU countries will struggle to reduce the environmental footprint of the rapidly growing electronics market.