2. EEE obsolescence and environmental issues

Over the past century, electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), and the industry that produces them, have contributed to well-being, economic growth and job creation around the world. Innovation in communication, home care and display technologies, among others, has revolutionized the way we live. At the same time, information is being distributed and shared faster than ever before. If we consider the stock of electrical and electronic equipment in households, businesses and public spaces, a person in Europe, for example, owns an average of 44 such devices. An example of the enormous quantity of electrical and electronic equipment produced each year is that of Internet-connected equipment, which now outnumbers human beings on the planet. This phenomenon is accelerated by the obsolescence of electronic components, creating a large flow of electrical and electronic waste. In the case of...