International E-Waste Day: Fast Tech

On Wednesday, 14 October 2026, International E-Waste Day takes place for the ninth time. Worldwide, this day raises awareness of the importance of recycling electrical devices.

This year's International E-Waste Day is all about Fast Tech — the small, inexpensive electrical devices that have long been part of our everyday lives. It's often overlooked that these products are electrical devices too, and once they've reached the end of their life, they don't belong in household waste, but in eRecycling.

What is Fast Tech?

Fast Tech refers to the growing number of cheap electrical and electronic devices that are often bought on impulse and discarded again without much thought. The term deliberately echoes "fast fashion". Just as throwaway culture has changed our consumption habits when it comes to clothing, a similar trend is emerging for small electrical devices: short lifespan, low price, high volumes.

Here is a small, non-exhaustive selection of typical Fast Tech products that belong in the SENS recycling system:

Mini fan
Selfie ring light
USB clip-on light
Electric fly swatter
Electric (pet) toy
Electric beauty gadget, such as electric nail files or nail clippers
Rechargeable lint remover
LED fairy lights
Disposable e-cigarettes

What connects these devices: they're cheap, quickly bought and just as quickly replaced. Yet they contain batteries, rechargeable batteries or other electronic components that need to be properly recycled.

An enormous variety of products

What makes Fast Tech particularly tricky is that the range of products is practically limitless and keeps growing with every new social media trend. A self-stirring coffee mug, a portable cooling vest, or a rechargeable vacuum sealer for crisp packets: all of these products cost just a few francs, are ordered on a whim, and often end up back in a drawer, in the cellar, or in the bin before long.

With a disused washing machine or an old microwave, almost everyone understands that the product belongs in recycling. With Fast Tech, this awareness is often missing. Too small, too cheap, and seemingly made of too much plastic – the individual product doesn't seem like something you'd associate with "e-waste".

The legal rule

Anything with a plug, cable, battery or rechargeable battery — anything that generates light or electricity, or has a solar cell — is an electrical device and belongs in eRecycling. In Switzerland, manufacturers have a take-back obligation, and consumers have a return obligation. This is set out in the Ordinance on the Return, Take-Back and Disposal of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (ORDEE).

An underestimated risk of fire

Fast Tech isn't just a missed recycling opportunity – it's also a safety issue. Many of these devices contain lithium-ion batteries. If crushed or damaged inside a rubbish bag, they can cause fires in collection vehicles or sorting facilities. This is no longer a theoretical risk. Incorrectly disposed of and damaged batteries are among the causes of fires at collection points and recycling companies. It's therefore all the more important that even the smallest electrical devices are recognised as such and returned correctly at the end of their working life.

Disposal sites for electrical equipment

Sales outlets and SENS collection points – two options for disposing of disused electrical equipment.

International E-Waste Day 2026

Every year on 14 October, International E-Waste Day takes place: a global awareness campaign on electronic waste, launched in 2018 by the WEEE Forum. Stiftung SENS is a founding member of the WEEE Forum. The 9th edition, in 2026, is entirely dedicated to Fast Tech – the small, cheap electrical devices that have long since become part of everyday life.

This year's International E-Waste Day campaign raises awareness around three points:

Recognise: every small device with a plug, cable or battery is, at the end of its life, e-waste, regardless of its size or price.
Return: at the sales outlet, at a SENS collection point, or with the Electro Recycling Bag.
Demand compliance: only registered providers also fund the recycling of their own products.

In 2025, more than 140 organisations from 50 countries around the world took part in International E-Waste Day. Participation is free and open to any organisation that wants to raise awareness of responsible e-waste management.

Find out more: weee-forum.org/iewd-about