Ecuador’s shrimp exports continue to grow, but the country’s mangrove ecosystems are paying the highest price.
Malaysia steps up its fight against e-waste imports, but illegal trade continues
Last February, Malaysia imposed a total ban on electronic waste imports. Yet toxic e-waste continues to arrive from the United States and other countries through illegal trafficking networks.
Malaysian authorities are increasingly at the forefront of efforts to stop the illegal trafficking of electronic waste. For years, the Southeast Asian country has been a destination for tonnes of e-waste, mainly shipped from countries such as the United States and Japan.
These shipments have overwhelmed Malaysian landfills and strained local recycling and disposal systems, while also causing harmful emissions and environmental contamination associated with electronic waste. For this reason, in February 2026 the government passed legislation imposing an absolute ban on the import of electronic waste, with no exemptions. Despite this, e-waste continues to enter the country through smuggling networks.
The law banning electronic waste imports
According to the latest United Nations Global E-waste Monitor, the world generated 62 million tonnes of electronic waste in 2022, making it the fastest-growing waste stream globally, expanding three times faster than household waste.
For years, Malaysia has been inundated with containers carrying electronic waste containing toxic substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium, which are particularly difficult to dispose of safely. The United States is the largest exporter. According to the environmental group Basel Action Network, the country exports around 32,947 tonnes of electronic waste every month, with Malaysia being its main destination. Several investigations have revealed that illegal, non-recyclable electronic waste has entered Malaysia, leading to corruption scandals that resulted in the arrest of officials from the Ministry of Environment.
It was in this context that the government introduced the new e-waste import ban in early February 2026, with the Ministry declaring that “Malaysia is not the world’s dumping ground.” Previous regulations had already tightened import controls, but still allowed certain exemptions. The new law abolished those exemptions entirely.
Smuggled containers
On 7 July, a shipping container declared as carrying raw tin caught fire at the Port of Klang. When firefighters opened the container while extinguishing the blaze, they discovered that it actually contained electronic waste. The legislation introduced earlier this year has therefore failed to completely stop e-waste imports, which continue through sophisticated criminal networks.
Smugglers falsify shipping documents to make containers appear to contain legitimate raw materials. To further evade inspections, shipments often transit through countries that are not typically associated with exporting electronic waste to Malaysia, such as South Korea. This form of transshipment makes customs inspections at Malaysian ports less likely.
Alongside the new legislation, Malaysian authorities created a dedicated task force called Op Green Shield to strengthen inspections at the country’s entry points. According to figures reported by Mongabay, during the first half of 2026 the task force inspected 685 containers, blocking the entry of 143 because they contained electronic waste. The containers were returned to their countries of origin, following a practice Malaysia has already adopted for other types of imported waste, including plastic waste.
The spotlight remains on the United States
Oggi uno dei problemi principali per la Malesia continuano a essere gli Stati Uniti. “La maggior parte dei rifiuti elettronici inviati in Malesia proviene dagli Stati Uniti, che non sono parte della Convenzione di Basilea”, ha dichiarato Jim Puckett, direttore esecutivo Basel Action Network. La Convenzione di Basilea regola i movimenti transfrontalieri di rifiuti pericolosi e altri rifiuti. “Gli Stati Uniti, pertanto, non hanno alcun obbligo di intervenire sul traffico di rifiuti elettronici dagli Stati Uniti alla Malesia. Questo mette il governo malese in una situazione molto difficile”.
Al di là della task force, le autorità malesiane stanno facendo pressione sui paesi di origine dei rifiuti elettronici perché aumentino i controlli e prendano nuove misure per fermare il contrabbando di questi scarti dannosi per l’ambiente. Anche perché l’invasione di rifiuti elettronici esteri sta complicando le pratiche di smaltimento delle aziende malesiane, favorendo un nuovo giro di reti criminali e discariche illegali che si inseriscono in questo vuoto.
One of Malaysia’s biggest challenges continues to be the United States.
“Most of the electronic waste shipped to Malaysia comes from the United States, which is not a party to the Basel Convention,” said Jim Puckett, Executive Director of the Basel Action Network. The Basel Convention regulates the transboundary movement of hazardous waste and other waste. “As a result, the United States has no obligation to prevent the trafficking of electronic waste from the US to Malaysia. This places the Malaysian government in a very difficult position.”
Beyond the work of the task force, Malaysian authorities are urging the countries from which the waste originates to strengthen inspections and adopt tougher measures to curb the illegal trade in electronic waste. The influx of foreign e-waste is also making it harder for Malaysian companies to process domestic electronic waste, creating opportunities for criminal networks and illegal dumping sites to flourish.
Siamo anche su WhatsApp. Segui il canale ufficiale LifeGate per restare aggiornata, aggiornato sulle ultime notizie e sulle nostre attività.
Quest'opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.
Record temperatures and border checks: how climate and migration policies are reshaping sport.
Kivalina is located on a small island once guarded by sea ice, which is now melting due to global warming. While the sea threatens to wipe the village off the face of the Earth, its inhabitants refuse to give up their lives and traditions.
When it comes to environment protection US President’s political line is by now rather clear. After all, for a climate change denier and a person who decided to withdraw the United States from the Paris Accord, the conservation of nature is most likely the least of his concerns. In fact, Donald Trump has decided to
The grants are destined to more than 100 organisations committed to protecting biodiversity, safeguarding indigenous people and combatting climate change.
According to a study presented in Guatemala, granting the rights to land to rural communities contributes to reducing the risk of forest fires.
Il fiume Whanganui, ritenuto sacro dai Maori, ottiene dopo una lunghissima battaglia legale personalità giuridica.
The Canadian oil company Pacific E&P, who had been granted the right to explore and extract oil in the Peruvian Amazon by the national government, has halted its exploration activities in block 135 of the rainforest (which is divided into “blocks” of oil and gas exploration). The company released a statement saying it “has made the decision to relinquish its exploration
The Belo Monte hydroelectric complex in Brazil was approved in 2005 even in the absence of the legally required environmental impact assessment and consultations with affected populations. Brazilian prosecutors have ruled the authorisation unconstitutional, multiples times. Yet after over a decade of legal attempts to block it, occupations, strikes and violence, Belo Monte is expected