Here's where e-waste recycling is now—and how Canada (and Québec) is doing.

Globally, the trend line is somber. The UN's latest Global E-waste Monitor 2024 estimates the world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022—82% higher than in 2010—and will reach 82 million tonnes by 2030. But the officially reported formal collection/recycling rate was just 22.3% in 2022, with no visible sign of increasing. Under business-as-usual, that percentage could fall to ~20% by 2030. Generation is accelerating, and accurate recycling is lagging behind.

Europe: targets mixed, delivery mixed

The EU's WEEE Directive set ambitious collection targets—basically 65% of equipment placed on the market (or 85% of WEEE generated)—and has constructed the most sophisticated policy architecture.
However, the collection rate reached just 40.6% in 2022, well short of the target, and this underscores just how difficult it is to get products returned from private homes, small businesses, and unofficial streams. Some member states are better, but overall, the bloc has some way to go on enforcement, consumer convenience of return, and dealing with hoarding.

United States: patchwork progress

The U.S. does not have a federal law governing e-waste. Rather, 25 states and D.C. each have their own electronics recycling law; 23 of these are EPR (extended producer responsibility) systems that are supported by manufacturers through funding recycling. Coverage, scope, and convenience differ by state, and this creates inconsistencies in access and data across states. Policymakers are increasingly interested—often couched as domestic critical-minerals recovery—but for the time being, performance is still uneven and difficult to compare nationally.

Canada: good EPR coverage, improved data—but not yet "best-in-class"

Canada handles e-waste through provincial/territorial EPR programs rather than a single federal program.

There are some forms of regulated programs in all provinces (and most of the territories), most frequently operated by the Electronic Products Recycling Association (EPRA/ARPE) and sponsors.

This delivers relatively consistent convenience (retail take-back points, municipal depots) and national branding under Recycle My Electronics. But still, Canada lacks a single, public rate of national collection on the same basis as the EU to compare head-to-head.

However, program-level data show high capture. EPRA reports more than 1.3 million tonnes responsibly recycled in Canada since 2007—of value as a cumulative indicator of scale.
Provincially, actual yearly tonnages can be seen: EPRA British Columbia had recovered 12,899 tonnes in 2023; ARPE-Québec had more than 19,000 tonnes in 2023, and more than 200,000 tonnes were barred from landfill in Québec since 2012. They are a consequence of mature logistics, longstanding brand recognition, and long lists of accepted products.

Québec: a bright spot inside Canada

Québec stands out for simplicity and scale. ARPE-Québec's network of approved drop-off points, outreach, and its "Serpuariens" public awareness campaign have helped sustain double-digit kiloton collection annually. While Québec tonnages aren't a direct proxy for an EU-style percentage rate, the trend reflects strong public participation, and the province's overall circular-economy initiative (through RECYC-QUÉBEC) encompasses e-waste along with other streams. The bottom-line lesson: it's fairly simple for individuals and companies to do the right thing.

So… is Canada superior to the EU or the U.S.?

Against the EU: Europe is stronger on quantifiable outcomes (similar, annual collection rate calculations) even if it can't quite reach its own target. Canada has broad coverage for its policy and heavy tonnages, but short of a harmonized, national reporting of a collection rate, it is hard to claim leadership. Overall, the EU leads on open performance metrics; Canada is competitive on access and EPR coverage with potential to solidify outcome reporting.

Relative to the U.S., Canada's province-wide EPR coverage offers more equal access than the patchwork of states within the U.S. Much of the U.S. population still lacks regular access to programs, and reporting is not consistent. Between policy coherence and network maturity, Canada is generally superior to the U.S., but leading U.S. states can equal or exceed Canadian provinces.

What would propel Canada (and Québec) from "good" to "world-class"?

1. Issue a national collection rate using international methodology (e.g., WEEE-generated method) so apples-to-apples comparisons and targeted improvement can be made.
2. Develop right-to-repair and reuse infrastructure, capturing devices before they hit the waste stream.
3. Design for disassembly and critical-minerals recovery—circuit boards to lithium-ion batteries—so local recyclers can realize more value.
4. Preserve convenience (retail drop-off, mail-back, community events) and fight hoarding through frequent clean-out campaigns.
5. Link purchasing to recycled material to create a stable market for reclaimed materials.

Bottom line:

Globally, we are creating e-waste more rapidly than we can recycle it. The EU remains the standard for quantifiable outcomes; Canada, especially Québec, is offering universal access and mature EPR practices, but needs to improve national measurement of performance; the U.S. is gaining speed but inconsistently. If Canada combines its excellent infrastructure with EU-level openness and repair/reuse development, it can justifiably be said to lead the pack in a few years.