e-Waste trade drives environmental injustice | Science

In 2022, approximately 5.1 billion kg of electronic waste (e-waste) was traded across borders, often illegally, of which almost 90% ended up in developing countries (1, 2). Most flows move from the North to Africa, Asia, and South America (3, 4). The high costs of safe recycling in exporting countries, combined with low labor costs and looser regulations in receiving countries, create a powerful economic incentive for these transfers (5). The Basel Convention was designed to limit these flows, but ambiguous waste definitions, poor reporting, and incomplete enforcement allow exporting countries to evade their responsibilities (6-8). Addressing this structural inequality requires redefining responsibilities throughout the global waste production and management chain.