Turning the Tide: A Look Into the European Union-to-Southeast Asia Waste Trafficking Wave

This report, titled Turning the Tide: A Look Into the European Union-to-Southeast Asia Waste Trafficking Wave, is a flagship within a series of publications that explore corruption, cybercrime, and legal loopholes as causes behind the problem. It is part of a comprehensive project (Unwaste) to address waste trafficking and its impact on the global circular economy.

Produced by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the new research, which has been financed by the European Union, stresses the urgent need for further regulatory reforms, enhanced international cooperation, capacity development, research, and data along with stricter enforcement measures to combat waste trafficking effectively.

Southeast Asia remains a key destination for illicit waste shipments, the report reveals, with Europe, North America, and Asia identified as primary regions of origin. Common tactics include false declarations, a lack of or incorrect notifications to circumvent regulations and avoid controls, along with missing or inadequate licenses or documents.

Data collected from four Southeast Asian countries, three major European Union ports, and international enforcement operations highlight efforts in tackling illegal waste shipments by both origin and destination countries. However, despite regulatory and enforcement measures implemented by countries in which illegal waste ends up — such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam — waste trafficking continues to pose a major challenge in the region.

Learn why waste trafficking is a growing concern in the publication.

Click here to access the report, Web of Waste Investigating the Risk of Waste Crimes in Cyber-Space.

Click here to access the main report, Legal Frameworks to Address Waste Trafficking in the ASEAN region – Review and Gap Analysis.

Click here to access the main report, Cash in the Trash The Role of Corruption, Organized Crime and Money Laundering in Waste Trafficking.

Click here to learn more about the Unwaste project.