Circular IT and the New Law 2026: Your Guide to What Applies
Key Takeaways
From July 1, 2026, new Swedish regulations will come into effect, requiring the sorting of IT equipment and prohibiting the incineration of recyclable materials. Companies and the public sector must now implement circular processes to meet legal requirements.
• Extend IT lifespan by two years and reduce carbon footprint by 30 percent – the largest climate saving comes from avoiding the manufacturing of new products.
• The EU's goal is to double circularity to 24 percent by 2030 – from today's 12.2 percent, which requires binding legislation and harmonized rules.
• New legal requirements from July 2026 include sorting requirements for IT equipment – a ban on incinerating recyclable material and stricter supervision from the County Administrative Board and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
• Plan for reuse already at procurement by setting functional requirements – demand take-back and collaborate with ISO-certified partners for secure data erasure according to NIST 800-88.
• Circular IT reduces both costs and environmental impact – refurbished equipment costs less than brand new, and DaaS models shift from CAPEX to predictable OPEX.
The transition to circular IT is no longer an option but a necessity. By acting now, businesses can stay ahead of regulations, drastically reduce their environmental impact, and at the same time realize significant financial savings. 
Electronic waste is growing faster than any other waste type in the world, and less than 40 percent of the material is handled correctly within the EU. Circular IT has, above all, become a necessity, not just an environmental choice. The EU's goal is to double circularity to 24 percent by 2030, and from July 1, 2026, new Swedish regulations will come into effect that transition to a circular economy.
In this guide, we will go through what circular IT means in practice, what demands the new law places on companies and the public sector, and how you can implement IT reuse and IT buyback in your business to stay ahead.
What is circular IT and why is it becoming more important now
The difference between linear and circular IT management
Traditional IT use follows a linear model: buy, use, and dispose. It is a one-way process where resources are extracted, products are manufactured, used for a short time, and then discarded. The world generated 53.6 million tons of e-waste in 2019, and the figure is increasing every year.
Circular IT breaks this cycle by maximizing the value of IT assets in a closed loop. Instead of discarding devices, their lifespan is extended through refurbishment, reuse, and proactive maintenance. Products are designed from the outset with reuse, repair, and recycling in mind. When a device no longer functions in its original form, the material becomes a resource for new products, not waste.
Despite Sweden being considered a role model in sustainability issues, we are behind the global average when it comes to circular processes. The transition from linear to circular management is too slow, and many businesses still lack a strategy for take-back and reuse.
Environmental impact of IT products
The manufacturing of IT equipment requires enormous resources and creates significant environmental impact. A laptop generates 280 kg of carbon dioxide emissions and 1,200 kg of waste during production. A mobile phone generates 55 kg of carbon dioxide and 86 kg of waste. Electronics actually account for 3.7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
By extending the lifespan of a laptop by two years, its carbon footprint can be reduced by almost 30 percent. The absolute largest part of the climate saving, over 95 percent, comes from the avoided manufacturing of new products. Reusing computer screens provides even greater savings, an average of 520 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.
Economic benefits of IT reuse
Circular IT reduces capital expenditures by shifting companies from CAPEX to OPEX through subscription-based IT models. DaaS (Device-as-a-Service) solutions enable a fixed monthly cost for both hardware and services, eliminating large initial investments and making budget planning more predictable.
Refurbished IT equipment costs significantly less than brand new products without compromising on quality. Only 30 percent of respondents in Advänia's survey are positive about reuse, despite the fact that both economic expenses and greenhouse gas emissions can be avoided. Concerns about performance and security outweigh the price, but modern circular solutions ensure that business data is securely erased and that performance is good enough for many years of use.
The new law 2026: Circular Economy Act and Swedish regulations
What does the EU's Circular Economy Act contain
The EU's Circular Economy Act is expected to be adopted in the second half of 2026 and forms a cornerstone of Europe's new industrial policy. The aim is to create a common market for secondary raw materials, increase the availability of high-quality recycled material, and stimulate demand for these materials within the EU. The law will address four main structural barriers: fragmented legislation between member states, unfavorable economics for secondary materials, lack of transparency, and material leakage due to poor collection.
Circularity rate to be doubled to 24%
Europe's circularity has stagnated for more than a decade. The circularity level was 10.7 percent in 2010 and had only increased marginally to 11.8 percent in 2023. Today it stands at 12.2 percent. Therefore, the EU has set a target to double circularity to 24 percent by 2030 as part of the Clean Industrial Deal. To achieve this, binding legislation with harmonized rules at EU level is required.
Swedish regulatory changes from May 2026
In May 2026, the Swedish government decided on a reform package for the waste sector with provisions that entered into force on July 1, 2026. The changes mean additional sorting requirements for commercial activities regarding IT equipment and other waste to avoid incineration. The prohibition against incinerating separately collected waste for material recycling is supplemented with requirements for those who wish to purchase incineration services.
New reporting and supervision requirements
The County Administrative Board was given new supervisory responsibility over municipalities' obligations to provide waste management services. At the same time, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's supervisory responsibility was clarified, and the agency was given new responsibility for supervising the reporting carried out by actors. New reporting requirements were introduced based on the provisions on responsibility for municipal waste according to the Environmental Code.
What applies to companies and the public sector
Sorting requirements for IT equipment
Several types of waste are covered by provisions on sorting and separate collection. IT equipment falls under the category of electrical equipment where detailed rules apply for sorting and pre-treatment. Sorting facilitates further treatment and enables material recycling. Packaging waste must be sorted out from other waste regardless of whether it comes from the staff room, canteen, or other part of the business.
Prohibition of incineration of recyclable material
Valuable materials are wasted when waste is incinerated instead of recycled. New policy instruments require that recyclable material be sorted out and that the incineration of unsorted waste be prohibited. Waste that for various reasons cannot be recycled is either incinerated or landfilled, but this only applies to materials where hazardous substances cannot be safely separated in the recycling process.
Responsibility for the continued life of products
Producer responsibility means that manufacturers and importers have an obligation to collect and recycle what they put on the market. For electronics, the WEEE directive applies through El-Kretsen. Companies that import goods from abroad are often considered producers and must register with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and join a collection system. Only 25 percent of organizations in the public sector have processes to ensure that IT equipment is taken care of when it is no longer used.
Documentation requirements and data erasure
Each container with hazardous waste shall be marked with the text 'Hazardous waste', EWC code, waste type in plain text, and date storage commenced. A function for secure data erasure shall be available for erasing user data in all data storage units. Instructions on how to use this function and which standard applies for secure data erasure shall be provided in the user manual. ISO-certified partners perform data erasure according to the NIST 800-88 standard.
How to implement circular IT in your business
Conduct a needs analysis of the IT environment
Opportunities for reuse are created early in the procurement process. Start by analyzing the business's needs before starting procurement. Base it on users' actual needs, not their wishes. Keep in mind that wishes and needs are not always the same thing.
Through dialogue with potential suppliers, you get a better picture of what solutions are available on the market or can be developed. Dialogue often leads to more solution proposals from more suppliers, and thus improved competition and more efficient procurements.
Choose between IT buyback and new purchases
Base it on functional requirements instead of specifying brand or model. This allows suppliers to also offer reused products. Conduct a market analysis to investigate what suppliers can offer in IT reuse.
Collaborate with circular suppliers
Lifecycle management from purchase to disposal requires the right partner. Choose partners who offer complete solutions for lifecycle management and who can give you control, overview, and scalability.
Procure circularly without requiring brand new
There are areas where it is appropriate to procure reused goods instead of new ones. On the market, many suppliers can offer reused and remanufactured goods in the IT area. When procuring reused goods, it is often possible and appropriate to set the same requirements as when procuring new goods.
Plan for reuse already at purchase
Demand take-back systems. By demanding take-back systems, you can contribute to used IT equipment becoming available on a larger market and increase recycling.
Contact us if you want to know more about how you can actively contribute to making your IT management more circular: hej@cirkulerad.se or 08-559 26 959.
Conclusion
Circular IT is undoubtedly the future, and the 2026 law makes it clear that businesses must act now. By implementing IT reuse, collaborating with the right partners, and planning for lifecycle management already at procurement, you can reduce both costs and environmental impact while staying ahead of regulations. In other words, it is no longer about whether you should make the transition, but how quickly you can get started. Contact us if you want to know more about how you can actively contribute to making your IT management more circular: hej@cirkulerad.se or 08-559 26 959.