KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — Malaysia is grappling with a growing electronic waste crisis. In 2021, the Department of Environment (DoE) collected 2,459 tonnes of household e-waste — just a small fraction of what goes unaccounted for in landfills and illegal dumps.

The crisis is accelerating. With Malaysia’s rapid digitalisation, the DoE estimates that the country will generate a staggering 24.5 million units of e-waste this year.

What is e-waste?

Under Malaysian law, e-waste is classified under Code SW110 of the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005. This encompasses two distinct streams: industrial and household electronic waste.

The scope is vast. Beyond everyday items like broken televisions, computers, and mobile phones, e-waste includes hazardous components that harbour toxic materials. These include mercury switches, cathode-ray tubes, and capacitors contaminated with cadmium, lead, chromium, and polychlorinated biphenyls.

Under the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005, industries are required to report and properly dispose of their e-waste via the Electronic Scheduled Waste Information System’s (eSWIS) portal. They must categorise, store, and dispose of scheduled wastes, including e-waste, to prevent environmental contamination.

Public awareness remains alarmingly low, with household e-waste disposal largely operating on a voluntary basis. Without clear regulatory guidelines, authorities struggle to effectively track, recover, and measure recycled materials. The lack of mandatory reporting requirements for households has created significant gaps in e-waste management and resource recovery.

According to the independent think tank Emir Research, the MyEwaste app — which helps users locate DoE-registered collection centres — was only downloaded 449 times as of May 2021. As a result, just 5 per cent of consumers properly disposed of their e-waste, either by recycling it or returning it to the manufacturer.

The Solid Waste Corporation (SWCorp) reported that the recycling rate achieved in 2020 is 30.67 per cent, lower than other developed countries such as Singapore (59 per cent), South Korea (49 per cent) and Taiwan (60 per cent).

With this in mind, the government is targeting to increase the national recycling rate (NRR) of household wastes to 40 per cent this year, under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

Long-lasting impact on the environment and the food chain

The failure to recycle e-waste poses severe environmental risks that threaten the entire food chain. Improper disposal releases toxic substances and heavy metals, which can leach into soil and groundwater, contaminating drinking water sources and damaging local ecosystems.

Beyond immediate contamination, mismanaged e-waste accelerates two critical environmental challenges: rising greenhouse gas emissions and the rapid depletion of finite resources. Electronic devices contain valuable materials including gold, silver, and other rare earth metals — resources that become permanently lost when devices are discarded rather than recycled.

Your tax monies are at risk too

Poor e-waste management will also drain public funds. Local municipalities will be forced to divert taxpayers monies to combat illegal dumping and its devastating aftermath. As it stands, local councils are already facing escalating costs to contain environmental damage and tackling mounting public health concerns, from rampant illegal disposal of hazardous materials.

Here is what you can do

Recycle! The best part? You can get paid for it! Simply identify your e-waste, separate it from other household items, and drop it off at a local recycling centre. Some centres even reward you for helping make our country greener.

Here are some places that reward you for being responsible:

• Electronic Recycling Through Heroes (ERTH): ERTH will compensate you via bank transfer or e-wallet upon collection of your e-waste. Plus, enjoy free pick-up service when you recycle at least three non-bulky devices. Worried about the data on your devices? ERTH also offers secure data destruction to wipe out your digital footprint.
• The IPC Recycling and Buy Back Centre: Located at IPC Shopping Centre, this centre accepts burnt-out light tubes, light bulbs, batteries, and other electronic waste. It’s also an excellent place to safely dispose of used batteries.
• Karun Hijau: Usable pre-loved items will either be sold as second-hand goods or donated to charitable organisations. They also collaborate with local artisans and makers to repurpose disposed items. Additionally, they partner with responsible recycling factories to process recyclables, including paper, iron, cans, and e-waste. If an item has the least value for reuse or repurposing, it’s processed responsibly. Karun Hijau also offers a pick-up service for recyclable items, where you can earn Green Points (GP) to redeem vouchers from their merchant network. For every 1kg of recyclable materials, you’ll earn 1 GP — plus occasional surprise bonus points to further reward your efforts.

To help you find a nearby location, here is a list of other DoE-approved e-waste disposal centres nationwide: List of E-Waste Collection Centres in Malaysia.

Do note that currently, the DoE only accepts specific items under its e-waste management system, including washing machines, dryers, televisions, air conditioners, refrigerators, mobile phones, computers, and laptops. Other e-waste materials, such as CD players, hair dryers, microwave ovens, printers, and more, will be included as the system evolves.