The report, titled “Brokers of Shame: The New Tsunami of American e-Waste Exports to Asia,” alleges that a group of 10 large US brokers have collectively exported over 10,000 containers of discarded electronics – valued at more than US$1 billion – between January 2023 and February 2025.
BAN estimates that about 2,000 shipping containers, or roughly 33,000 metric tonnes of US e-waste, leave American ports each month, often destined for developing countries that have banned such imports under international agreements. Malaysia, a Basel Convention signatory, was identified as the primary recipient, with US e-waste shipments potentially representing up to six per cent of total US trade with the country during the study period.
“These companies present themselves as responsible recyclers helping to solve the e-waste crisis,” said Jim Puckett, founder of BAN. “But our data and field investigations show a troubling pattern of exports that appear inconsistent with both US and international efforts to ensure safe and legal handling of hazardous waste.”
The investigation, based on trade data, field observations and GPS tracking, found that containers were being routed through Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, despite these countries having clear bans under the Basel Convention on receiving hazardous electronic waste.
Eight of the 10 identified brokers reportedly hold R2V3 certification — an industry standard meant to ensure responsible recycling practices. Several brokers operate in California, which has some of the strictest e-waste laws in the United States. One firm, GEM Iron and Metal, Inc., was even awarded a contract by the US Defense Logistics Agency to manage electronic waste from the Department of Defense, the world’s largest generator of such materials.
The report found that a large retailer and Fortune 500 company, Best Buy, were implicated in the harmful exports revealed by BAN’s GPS tracking highlighting the need for greater downstream due diligence. BAN alleges that much of the waste may be misdeclared as “commodity materials” or “working electronics” to evade detection or tariffs.
In receiving countries, the consequences are severe. According to BAN’s Malaysia-based researcher Pui Yi Wong, undocumented workers are often found dismantling or burning electronics in makeshift facilities without protection.
“Waste traffickers and illegal recyclers blatantly violate Malaysia’s laws in the name of recycling,” Wong said. “They pollute our water, air and soil, making communities sick and exploiting vulnerable workers. Americans should recycle their old electronics in their own country.”
The report comes as global e-waste volumes continue to climb. In 2022, the world generated a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste — a figure expected to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030. The United Nations estimates that only 17-22 per cent is formally collected and recycled, though BAN warns that much of this is still exported to informal or unsafe recycling operations abroad.
BAN highlighted that the United States remains the only industrialised country that has not ratified the Basel Convention, an international treaty designed to prevent the export of hazardous waste from rich nations to poorer ones.
“In the absence of strong federal action, it’s up to industry leaders to reform their operations and certifications,” the organisation said. “Communities in South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and beyond should not have to bear the toxic cost of the world’s discarded electronics.”
