ELECTRONIC WASTE

Thai Bust: 238 Tons of US' Illegal Electronic Garbage

Officials seize 10 illegally imported containers at port of Bangkok

by Wires
May 14, 2025

A Thai official shows a sample of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States that they say they seized at Bangkok Port during a press conference in Bangkok on Wednesday. Sakchai Lalit photo

Thai officials on Wednesday said they seized 238 tons of illegally imported electronic waste from the United States at the port of Bangkok, the biggest lot they found this year. The waste, which came in 10 large containers, was declared as mixed metal scrap but turned out to be circuit boards mixed in a huge pile of metal scrap, said Theeraj Athanavanich, director-general of the Customs Department. The waste was found on Tuesday after the containers were subjected to a routine random inspection, reports the AP.

A UN report last year said electronic waste is piling up worldwide. Some 62 million tons of electronic waste was generated in 2022, and that figure is on track to reach 82 million tons by 2030, the report said. It noted that only 22% of the waste was properly collected and recycled in 2022, and that quantity is expected to fall to 20% by the end of the decade due to higher consumption, limited repair options, shorter product life cycles, and inadequate management infrastructure.

Athanavanich said authorities are looking to press charges, including falsely declaring imported goods, illegally importing electronic waste, and planning to re-export the waste back to its country of origin. "It's important that we take action on this kind of goods," he said. "There are environmental impacts that are dangerous to the people, especially communities around factories that might import these things for processing, then recycling." Electronic waste creates huge health hazards. Many components are laden with lead, mercury, cadmium, and other toxins. Recyclers are after gold, silver, palladium, and copper, mainly from printed circuit boards, but lax controls mean that facilities often burn plastics to release encased copper and use unsafe methods to extract precious metals.