Less than 10pc of e-waste recycled in country

FE REPORT | Published: May 23, 2026 22:39:03

Less than 10 per cent of nearly 3.0 million tonnes of annual electronic waste is formally recycled in the country despite the existence of the Hazardous Waste (E-Waste) Management Rules, 2021, according to an assessment report unveiled at a dissemination event on Saturday.
The VOICE with support from Association for Progressive Communications organised the 'Assessment report dissemination event on the Hazardous Waste (E-Waste) Management Rules, 2021' in the city.
The report revealed widespread gaps in the implementation of the country's e-waste management rules. Although all 15 surveyed entities were registered with the Department of Environment, none collected a single end-of-life product during the last fiscal year.
According to the findings, around 78 per cent of the entities had no take-back system in place, while only 22 per cent verified compliance with Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) standards. The report also found that none of the surveyed entities maintained proper hazardous waste storage or record-keeping systems, suggesting that the rules have yet to be effectively enforced.
It estimated that Bangladesh was losing an annual economic recovery potential of around US$200 million to US$221 million from unrecovered e-waste.
Ahmed Swapan Mahmud, executive director of VOICE, said Bangladesh had made significant progress by formulating the e-waste management rules, but effective implementation remained crucial to protecting public health and the environment.
Musharrat Mahera, deputy director (programmes) of VOICE, said mismanagement of e-waste was causing severe environmental damage and contributing to increased child mortality, maternal mortality and premature deaths.
Presenting the findings, the report's lead author Bandhan Das said there remained a significant gap between policy objectives and field-level implementation.
"Although there is legal intent on paper, there is no practical implementation at the field level. The accountability mechanism remains largely ineffective, while workers continue handling e-waste without adequate health and safety protection," he said.
Md Aminul Russell of Unnayan Dhara Trust emphasised the need for stronger media engagement to influence policymakers and improve enforcement of e-waste regulations.
Mihir Biswas of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon called for identifying implementation challenges and ensuring continued collaborative efforts to carry out the report's recommendations.
Participants at the event urged coordinated and sustainable initiatives to strengthen environmental accountability and enforce e-waste management policies to safeguard future generations from the growing risks posed by electronic waste.
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