Bangladesh could recover metals worth an estimated $500 million annually from discarded electronics, according to a study cited in a TBS report. The figure represents the potential value of recoverable materials, not actual earnings from recycling.
The amount that could be realised would depend on how much e-waste is collected, the quantity of metals that can be extracted, available technology and processing costs, and prevailing metal prices.
Yet electronic waste, or e-waste, is often dismantled unsafely, dumped or exported for processing, wasting valuable resources and posing environmental and health risks.
What makes e-waste valuable?
Discarded mobile phones, computers, televisions, refrigerators and other electronic appliances contain copper, aluminum, gold, silver and other recoverable materials. Recycling these metals can reduce dependence on imported raw materials, create jobs and limit the need for fresh mineral extraction.
However, recovery depends on the type of equipment, available technology, processing costs and market prices.
How much e-waste does Bangladesh generate?
A study by the Department of Environment conducted through Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, cited in the TBS report, estimated that Bangladesh generated around 400,000 tonnes of e-waste in 2018. It projected annual generation could reach 4.62 million tonnes by 2035.
The country has limited formal recycling capacity. The TBS report cites a 2017 estimate that only 3% of e-waste was formally recycled and exported. The Department of Environment had registered just 16 commercial recyclers nationwide.
Establishing an environmentally compliant recycling plant can require Tk10–15 crore, while a facility capable of recovering gold may need at least Tk500 crore, according to a recycler.
Why is the system failing?
Much of the waste passes through informal collectors and dismantlers. Some use open burning and hazardous chemicals to extract metals, exposing workers and nearby communities to toxic substances such as lead, mercury and chromium.
A risk assessment cited by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) identified unacceptable health risks associated with lead and chromium exposure among recycling workers.
Bangladesh also imported around 14,985 tonnes of e-waste between 2022 and 2024, costing approximately $700,000, according to TIB findings cited by TBS, despite restrictions under domestic rules. Some shipments were reportedly declared as machinery spare parts. Meanwhile, the country exported around 4,040 tonnes of printed circuit board scraps and electronic components during the period.
What do the rules say?
Bangladesh's 2021 Hazardous Waste (E-waste) Management Rules incorporate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), requiring producers, importers and distributors to take responsibility for end-of-life products. Collection targets are intended to rise from 10% to 50% over five years.
However, TIB found that manufacturers, importers and distributors had not registered under the framework. The country needs effective enforcement, a national e-waste inventory, stronger customs screening and better coordination among agencies.
How big is the global opportunity?
The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 estimates that the world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, but only 22.3% was formally collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner. Recoverable natural resources worth $62 billion were left unaccounted for. Global generation could reach 82 million tonnes by 2030.
Separately, Grand View Research estimated the global electronics recycling market at $45.2 billion in 2025 and projected it would reach $91.5 billion by 2033. These are commercial market estimates, distinct from the value of recoverable materials.
What can Bangladesh learn?
The European Union makes producers responsible for financing or organising collection and treatment. Japan requires retailers and manufacturers to participate in recycling specified household appliances. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency promotes independently certified recyclers that meet environmental, worker-safety and data-security standards.
Bangladesh should enforce producer responsibility, invest in safe recycling facilities, integrate informal collectors into formal networks and strengthen controls against illegal imports. It should also identify which materials can be recovered economically at home and where specialised processing partnerships are necessary.
The $500 million estimate is potential material value, not guaranteed revenue. Realising it will require reliable collection, investment, technology and enforcement. Done properly, e-waste recycling could turn an environmental liability into a source of industrial raw materials and employment.