In 2023, the world generated an epic 62 million metric tons of electronic waste, or e-waste. Projections indicate that this figure could increase to 82 million metric tons by 2030. This troubling development is incredibly worrisome for the countries of Southeast Asia. Together, they are now the most popular e-waste export destinations for all U.S. exports. A recent report from the Basel Action Network (BAN) highlights the scale of this issue, revealing that U.S. shipments may account for approximately 6% of all exports to Southeast Asia between 2023 and 2025.
It all got a little crazier after China’s ban on foreign waste imports went into full effect in 2017. The policy change spurred thousands of Chinese companies to relocate their factories to Southeast Asia. There, they discovered a regulatory environment that tends to be much more lax. The BAN investigation uncovered a shocking discovery. We had documentation that at least ten U.S. companies had direct involvement in exporting used electronics to Asia and the Middle East. These companies exported more than 10,000 containers of potential e-waste worth more than $1 billion.
That’s the equivalent of about 33,000 metric tons—2,000 containers’ worth—of used electronics, on average, leaving U.S. ports every month. The e-waste trade brings in an estimated $200 million+ a month. The majority of these shipments are on their way to countries that have passed bans on these imports. These restrictions exist because of the Basel Convention. Is it any wonder, then, that the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that has not ratified this particular treaty?
E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world, outpacing the capacity for formalized recycling by five to one. In addition to exacerbating racial inequities in the U.S., this disparity poses important questions regarding environmental and human health consequences in receiving countries. In Malaysia, a leading destination for U.S. e-waste, illegal processing facilities run rampant without the proper environmental protections. These sites disproportionately use undocumented workers – many who must work under extreme conditions, breathing toxic fumes with inadequate protection from materials to massive explosions.
It’s heartening to see a start to what has become the major illegal e-waste import trade in Southeast Asia getting cleaned up. Just last month, Thai authorities seized 238 tons of U.S. e-waste at a Bangkok port. At the same time, Malaysian authorities seized $118 million in e-waste during countrywide raids.
“It simply means the country is being overwhelmed with what is essentially pollution transfer from other nations.” – Jim Puckett, Basel Action Network
Despite these interventions, the problem persists. The BAN report refers to this phenomenon as a “hidden tsunami” of e-waste. As if that weren’t enough, it’s compounding the complex environmental crises that have long plagued Southeast Asia. The report states that this issue is “padding already lucrative profit margins of the electronics recycling sector while allowing a major portion of the American public’s and corporate IT equipment to be surreptitiously exported to and processed under harmful conditions in Southeast Asia.”
Jim Puckett of BAN emphasizes the gravity of the situation, noting that “Malaysia suddenly became this mecca of junk.” Flooding of e-waste inundates local waste systems’ capacities. It’s doing a huge disservice to public health and the environment too.
