Circular Consumer Electronics: A Comprehensive Overview of the Current Materials Supply Chain and the Steps Needed to Close the Loop

Sustainability

Challenge

Achieving a circular consumer electronics industry requires a comprehensive, quantitative understanding of the entire supply chain’s circularity, from material inflows and product use to end of life outflows.

Result

Together with stakeholders across the supply chain, we mapped the current level of circularity in small consumer electronics, identified the key priorities for the Netherlands to achieve its circularity goals, and clarified the roles that different supply chain actors must play in this transition.

Client

As the Netherlands’ national investment and development agency, Invest-NL contributes to a more sustainable and innovative Netherlands.

In brief

Small consumer electronics are a crucial piece of the puzzle in building a circular economy. On behalf of Invest-NL, we conducted a material flow analysis and carried out in-depth interviews with stakeholders across the value chain. For the first time, this provides a comprehensive overview of the entire supply chain, highlighting both its current level of circularity and the steps still required to achieve a fully circular system.

In-depth interviews

A Comprehensive Overview of the Small Consumer Electronics Supply Chain

Recommendations for Creating a Circular Supply Chain

Challenge

Increasing amounts of electronic waste

The use of consumer electronics continues to grow, increasing environmental pressures and generating ever larger volumes of electronic waste. As a result, valuable and critical raw materials are lost to landfills, further increasing our dependence on imports from other countries.

From Linear to Circular

On the path to a circular economy by 2050, clear targets have been set for 2030: new electronic products must be sustainably designed and recyclable, their circular potential must be fully utilized, and end of life devices must be recycled to a high standard.

A comprehensive overview of the supply chain is missing

Steering this transition requires a clearer understanding of the current situation. To date, there has been no comprehensive, quantitative assessment of the circularity of consumer electronics in the Netherlands. Without such an overview, it is difficult to identify where the greatest opportunities for circularity exist and which interventions can deliver the greatest impact.

Process

We conducted a material flow analysis and extensive desk research. To validate and deepen our findings, we also carried out interviews with stakeholders across the entire supply chain. Drawing on these insights, we developed a comprehensive, quantitative picture of the current level of circularity in the consumer electronics supply chain and formulated recommendations for accelerating the transition to a more circular system.

A Deep Dive into the Process

Defining the Scope

On behalf of nlmtd, Marthe Posthumus and Kasja Oostindie conducted the research. They began by defining the project’s objectives and scope. Together with Invest-NL, they explored which material flows should be examined in detail and ultimately focused on small consumer electronics, including smartphones, laptops, and small household appliances.

There were two main reasons for this choice. First, these devices contain relatively high concentrations of critical raw materials. Second, they are reused far less frequently than larger appliances such as washing machines. As a result, this category presents a significant circularity challenge and offers considerable potential for improvement.

Data Collection

The second phase focused on data collection. “This phase partly overlapped with defining the scope,” Kasja explains. “To investigate a topic properly, relevant data must be available. That proved to be a challenge, as reliable and detailed information on both inflows and outflows was often difficult to obtain. As a result, we narrowed the analysis to three key categories: displays and monitors, small household appliances, and telecommunications and ICT equipment.”

To collect the necessary data, the team collaborated with organizations that monitor and track key material flows within the sector: Stichting OPEN and SCYCLE/UNITAR. As custodians of industry data, these organizations are recognized authorities in the field, helping to ensure the reliability and credibility of the analysis.

Analyzing and Gaining Deeper Insights

The next phase involved analyzing the collected data and conducting stakeholder interviews. Building on their initial findings, Marthe and Kasja spoke with fifteen stakeholders from across the supply chain, including manufacturers, retailers, repair businesses, and recyclers.

“Only they can provide the story behind the numbers,” Marthe explains. “Where are things already working well, and what challenges do these parties continue to face? These conversations allowed us to validate our findings and enrich them with practical insights.”

Writing the Report

The final phase was drafting the report. The main challenge was interpreting the insights that had been gathered. How should the data be explained? Which themes emerged consistently from the interviews? And what recommendations could be drawn from them?

The report was then reviewed by several stakeholders. “That is an important step as well,” says Kasja. “It allows us to share the findings with the sector and ensure that the picture we have presented accurately reflects reality.”

Result

A Comprehensive View of the Entire Chain
For the first time, there is now a comprehensive, quantitative overview of the circularity of material flows in small consumer electronics—from inflow to use and outflow. It turns out that one-third of small electronics still end up in “regular” waste and that new products consist of only 15% recycled materials.

Toward Circularity
. Equally important is that the various stakeholders now have a better understanding of what they need to focus on to achieve the 2030 and 2050 goals. The report contains numerous concrete recommendations, divided into three categories: reduce (focused on using fewer and better materials), extend (extending product lifespans), and recover (recovering materials or energy).

Collaboration Across the Entire Supply Chain
A key conclusion is that further progress requires collaboration across the entire supply chain to make circularity scalable and attractive to investors. The report also specifies the roles that the various stakeholders must play in making the supply chain circular.

Link to the report: https://www.invest-nl.nl/nl/kennis-en-publicaties/rapport-circulariteit-kleine-consumentenelektronica

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Next Steps

Thanks to the material flow analysis, we now have a clear understanding of where the small consumer electronics supply chain stands today and what still needs to be done to achieve full circularity. In that sense, the analysis is only the starting point. The real challenge lies in turning these insights into action.

The findings are being widely shared across the market, and Invest-NL is calling on producers, retailers, supply chain partners, and financiers to work together to develop and scale circular solutions. As a researcher, Marthe also sees opportunities to contribute to innovative initiatives: “To make a meaningful impact, we need to scale up significantly. Above all, it is essential to drive systemic change across the entire supply chain.”

Conclusion

This systemic change represents the greatest challenge. The supply chain is still primarily geared toward economic growth rather than value retention, meaning it continues to operate largely as a linear system. Part of the challenge lies in the large number of stakeholders involved. Only through collaboration can they successfully close the loop.

This complexity was also reflected in the research. “The interviews clearly revealed a wide range of perspectives,” Marthe explains. “The challenge was to bring all those viewpoints together into a single, objective picture.”

“That is also the strength of this material flow analysis,” Kasja adds. “For the first time, we have a clear and shared view of the entire supply chain. It provides a common starting point for the collaboration that is needed among the many stakeholders to make this crucial transition a success.”