Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) or Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, describes loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, or broken electrical or electronic devices. If these devices are informally processed then it causes serious health and pollution problems.

Fast changing technology, low initial cost, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of electronic waste and obsolete electronic components.

The recycling of electronic waste is rapidly growing business in the developed world. With the increase regulatory, public and commercial scrutiny and an equal increase in entrepreneurship which has led to diversion of electronic waste to conventional recycle, where equipment is reverted to raw material form. There are companies now who supply obsolete electronic components to the marketplace that are discontinued, hard to find, which have a long lead time if ordered fresh.

Obsolete electronic components are basically the used and waste electronic components which can be reused by manufacturers. Recycling could mean discarding electronic waste in a manner that it does not harm the environment. This diversion is achieved through reuse and refurbishing. But for Obsolete electronic components it is found to have a good market. The advantage of the Obsolete electronic component is that, hundred percent, it is reusable and off course tested for the same and they cost lesser than buying new electronic component. Therefore many manufactures are now opting for such obsolete electronic component which helps them reduce the cost and at the same time saves on raw material.

Due to increased regulation of electronic waste and concern over environmental damage has resulted in rise in the cost of disposing the toxic electronic waste. The regulation also states to remove residue prior to export and this works as a negative influence while trading. The electronic items exported as the recycled good are sent unscreened to developing countries like China, India and Africa avoiding expenses of removing the items like bad cathode ray tubes; therefore it's seen that the third world countries are becoming the dump yard of e-waste due to their weak laws.

There are advantages in recycling electronic waste as it helps in preventing polluting the environment but since the regulation are still weak the effect of bad waste is transferred to third world countries in order to make money by the recycler businesses in the developed countries.