E-waste recycling offers $500m annual business potential for Bangladesh: Experts

Compliant e-waste recycling could provide Bangladesh with a $500 million annual economic opportunity if the country formally manages all its electrical and electronic waste, which is currently either being informally recycled or discarded into the environment, said experts at a seminar yesterday.

The seminar, titled "The Formal E-Waste Management 2024," was organised by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Society Bangladesh, a consortium of industry leaders, at the Westin Hotel in the capital, marking International E-Waste Day.

Referencing the European Union (EU), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the global WEEE Forum, Akter Ul Alam, general secretary of the WEEE Society-Bangladesh, said that Bangladesh generated 367 million kg of e-waste in 2022, growing at an annual average rate of 3.4%. 

However, less than 0.5% of this waste was formally recycled.

Speaking to TBS, he explained that the value of recyclable e-waste per kg is over $1, as the raw materials extracted through post-processing are sold at that price. 

He added that approximately 80-90% of the revenue from the formal recycling industry would be allocated for the compliant collection and processing of the waste.

"Nevertheless, the environmental and public health costs of not recycling outweigh the processing costs," he said.

With supportive regulations, proper incentives, and sufficient investments in place, Bangladesh could establish a robust certified recycling industry capable of processing all its e-waste, potentially generating $40-50 million in annual profits, he estimated.

In his keynote address, Dr Md Shahinoor Islam, professor and head of the Chemical Engineering Department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said that the value of extractable materials from the world's 62 million tonnes of e-waste is $57 billion, which could be recovered through proper recycling. 

According to him, of the global total, 13.8 million tonnes of e-waste were formally collected and recycled, while 16 million tonnes were recycled informally using some infrastructure. In 2022, an estimated 18 million tonnes were managed by informal sectors, while the remaining 14 million tonnes of e-waste were disposed of as residual waste or sent to landfills. 

"Both disposal and informal recycling pose health and environmental hazards due to the presence of heavy metals and hazardous chemicals," he added.

A few companies, such as JR Recycling, Azizu Recycling and E-Waste Company, M/S Zaman Enterprise, SGS Bangladesh, Yousuf Enterprise, and Array Consortium, are currently recycling e-waste in Bangladesh, and this model should be replicated by more firms, he added. 

Citing Interpol, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said one in every four vessels leaving the EU territories carries electronic waste, to be dumped either in Asia or Africa and there needs international actions and awareness.

She urged electronics manufacturers to prioritise durable products rather than encouraging consumers to make frequent purchases. 

The adviser also emphasised the importance of proper e-waste management, noting the government's commitment to implementing the E-Waste Rules 2021.

Annually, around 3,000 tonnes of e-waste from the telecom industry are formally collected and recycled in Bangladesh, said Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission Chairman Maj Gen (retired) Emdad Ul Bari. 

He also emphasised the need for nationwide awareness regarding all other types of e-waste.