Asia-Pacific E-Waste Management Market Outlook, 2028

Asia-Pacific is expected to dominant position in the e-waste management market during the forecast period due to a number of factors, including new product developments as a result of on-going innovation and the on-going drop in the price of electronic items. This has had a significant impact on the real-life span of electronic items like computers and smartphones. Additionally, the region's numerous countries' rising per capita incomes have encouraged consumers to frequently upgrade their goods purchases. In the past ten years, sales of electronic products including computers, refrigerators, and mobile phones have increased, contributing to an increase in the amount of e-waste generated in the region. Owing to various factors such as new product developments due to continuous innovations and constant decline in prices of electronic products, the market is expected to witness prominent growth. This has considerably affected actual life span of electronic products such as computers and mobiles. In addition, increase in per capita income across many countries of this region has led to frequent switching to upgraded versions of the products. These factors are collectively responsible for increase in sales of electronic devices such as mobiles phones, refrigerators, and computers in the last decade, which ultimately increase e-waste in the region.

According to the research report, Asia-Pacific E-Waste Management Market Outlook, 2028 the market is anticipated to add over USD 24 Billon from 2023 to 2028. The volume of e-waste grows yearly due to increased sales of electrical and electronic equipment and reluctance to repair broken items across the region. Since the cost of repairs can sometimes exceed the price of a brand-new product, users usually opt not to fix damaged or obsolete electronics. This contributes to the yearly increase of e-waste. Additionally, the transfer of e-waste from developed regions to developing nations like India and China opens up a wide range of possibilities for efficient e-waste management. Based on the report, the market is segmented into five major countries including China, Japan, India, Australia and South Africa. Among them, China is contributing for around half of the market in 2022.

China is the most populous country in the world with much larger demand of electronics as compared to other Asian countries and many of the developed countries across the world. To meet this demand, China is increasing its annual rate of local production of electronics. This generates high amount of e-waste across the country. China has national legislation in force that regulates the collection and treatment of fourteen types of e-waste (i.e., five types, initially, and nine more were later added). The regulated fourteen types of e-waste are televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, personal computers, range hoods, electric water heaters, gas water heaters, fax machines, mobile phones, single-machine telephones, printers, copiers, and monitors. Other countries in East Asia, such as Japan and South Korea, have advanced e-waste regulation.

Asia-Pacific is also emerging in this market due to many E-Waste policies followed by countries like India, Japan, China and South Korea. Countries like India and China have high number of dumping spots which will contribute to improving E-Waste Management in these areas. All the above mentioned factors are expected to promote the market growth over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is anticipated to see the greatest growth rate throughout the projected period of the global e-waste management market due to the constant innovation and the decline in electronic goods' prices. The actual lifespan of electronic devices like computers and cell phones has been significantly impacted by this. Additionally, a variety of opportunities for effective e-waste management are emerging as a result of the movement of e-waste from industrialized regions to developing. Based on the source type, household appliances segment is leading the market in 2022.

E-Waste comprises of household appliances and used electronic devices that are rendered functionless. The on-going industrialization and technological advancements lead to product launch and upgrades to existing products, which further leads to obsoleting products and subsequently results in a huge volume of electric and electronic wastes. The government regulations in Asia-Pacific countries such as China, India and Singapore mandate the recycling of E-Wastes. Moreover, increase in buying power of consumers along with the above mentioned factors results in the reduced shelf life of electronic products. The increasing exports of electronic waste to countries from developed regions, has led to the formulation of stringent regulatory norms as a strong measure to curb the illegal trade practices and transfer the waste to regulated recycling companies. The constant upgrades in technology impel the need for the safe disposal of E waste in this region. The impending need of disposing these huge volumes of E-Waste along with issues related to environmental degradation and health concerns pose a major challenge for countries. The hazards arising from unprocessed disposal of E-Waste and the heavy investments associated with the recycling of products are key factors that restrain the market.

The region’s market growth is supplemented by key factors such as the illegal dumping of e-waste, the declining prices of electronic products, the lack of strict regulations for e-waste disposal, and new product developments. Additionally, a number of factors, such as the growth in the regionally dispersed manufacturing industry, the increasing awareness about environmental issues and the increase in the use of recycled materials are contributing to this market growth. Advances in technology are also expected to propel the growth of the waste management market. For instance, new methods such as automated sorting and closed loop systems are being adopted for managing municipal solid waste (MSW). Moreover, investment in renewable energy sources is expected to spur the growth of the electronic waste (e-waste) segment. However, some restraints are also anticipated such as environmental regulations and increased costs associated with waste segregation. The recovering and recycling segment is expected to dominate the global waste management market during the forecast period. This is due to the increasing demand for recycled products and rising awareness about environmental issues among consumers. The composting and landfilling segments are anticipated to witness slower growth during the forecast period due to stringent environmental regulations in some countries.

On the other hand, e-waste in Japan is a significant environmental problem. Despite being one of the foremost nations to implement an electronic waste recycling program, Japan still faces serious challenges. Furthermore, in the present scenario, e-waste disposal has gained immense importance, owing to the growing demand for electronics in the country. Hence, these factors are expected to fuel the market growth in the Asia-Pacific over the forecast period. In the past, Japan had implemented certain laws pertaining to recycling. This includes the LRHA (Law for the Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances), which imposes obligations on the manufacturers and retailers of home appliances such as washing machines, air conditioners, and refrigerators, among others. The implementation of this law has forced them to ensure proper waste treatment and the efficient use of resources. In addition to that, the constant switching to newer devices and disposing of old ones has significantly contributed to the e-waste accumulation. The limited life span of electronic devices such as refrigerators, mobile phones, televisions etc. has led to regular upgrade of these electronic devices and ultimately leading to e-waste. Considering the aforementioned factors, the need to manage e-waste effectively has been the need of the hour.

Many government policies and programs tend to focus on conventional waste management solutions such as sanitary land filling or incineration - mainly downstream disposal, which is expensive, while failing to pursue upstream measures to reduce the actual waste load. This on-going expansion is mostly due to the existence of densely populated nations such as China and India, as well as the proportionate use of IT and telecommunications technology. Labour availability and growing precious metals prices are also expected to drive growth of the Asia-Pacific market over the research period. Additionally, the Asia-Pacific has low e-waste recycling rates and frequently poor recycling rates are due to the lack of legislation governing the collection, processing and recovery of materials from e-waste, as well as the lack of infrastructure for e-waste processing. Based on the material type, metal segment is leading the market in 2022 and is expected to continue this dominance during the forecast period as well.

The regulations for electronic waste (e-waste) disposal vary across the Asia-Pacific region. Some countries have specific laws and regulations in place, while others have yet to implement formal systems. Here are a few examples of e-waste regulations in the Asia-Pacific region:

• China: In China, the Management Regulations for Electronic Waste were introduced in 2011 and amended in 2016. This law requires producers of electronic products to be responsible for the proper disposal of their products at the end of their life.
• Japan: Japan has a comprehensive e-waste management system in place, including regulations for the proper disposal of e-waste. The Law for the Promotion of Effective Utilization of Resources requires manufacturers to collect and properly dispose of their products at the end of their life.
• South Korea: South Korea has a comprehensive e-waste management system in place, including the Act on the Promotion of Saving and Recycling of Resources. This law requires manufacturers to take responsibility for the disposal of their products and establishes a recycling fund to support proper disposal.
• Australia: In Australia, e-waste regulations vary by state. The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme were introduced in 2011 and require manufacturers to contribute to the cost of properly disposing of their products.
• India: India has implemented regulations for e-waste disposal through the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. The regulations require manufacturers to take responsibility for the proper disposal of their products and establish a system for the collection and disposal of e-waste.

Asia-Pacific E-Waste Management Start-ups:

• E-Waste Systems: E-Waste Systems is a Hong Kong-based e-waste management startup that provides responsible e-waste recycling services to individuals, businesses, and organizations. They use state-of-the-art technologies to recover valuable materials from e-waste and minimize waste.
• Attero Recycling: Attero Recycling is an India-based e-waste management startup that provides responsible e-waste recycling services to individuals, businesses, and organizations. They use innovative technologies to safely and efficiently recycle e-waste and minimize waste.
• Electronic Recyclers International: Electronic Recyclers International is an Australia-based e-waste management startup that provides secure and responsible e-waste recycling services to individuals, businesses, and organizations. They use sustainable practices and cutting-edge technologies to safely and efficiently recycle e-waste and minimize waste.
• Green Disk: Green Disk is a South Korea-based e-waste management company that provides secure and responsible e-waste recycling services to individuals, businesses, and organizations. They use sustainable practices and innovative technologies to safely and efficiently recycle e-waste and minimize waste.
• E-Waste Africa: E-Waste Africa is a South Africa-based e-waste management company that provides responsible e-waste recycling services to individuals, businesses, and organizations. They use cutting-edge technologies to safely and efficiently recycle e-waste and minimize waste.

Major Companies present in the market:

Enviro-Hub Holdings Ltd, Sensoneo, Sims Lifecycle Services, Inc., Big Belly Solar, LLC., Sembcorp Industries Ltd, Veolia Environment SA., UMICORE SA and TES-AMM., Tetronics (International) Limited, TES, Ecube Labs Co. Ltd, Capital Environment Holdings Limited, Cleanaway.

Considered in this report

• Geography: Asia-Pacific
• Historic year: 2017
• Base year: 2022
• Estimated year: 2023
• Forecast year: 2028

Aspects covered in this report

• Asia-Pacific E-Waste Management market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Country-wise E-Waste Management market analysis
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

Countries covered in the report:

• China
• Japan
• India
• Australia
• South Korea

By Source Type:

• Household Appliances (Air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers, drying cabinets, freezers, refrigerators, kitchen stoves, water heaters, washing machines, trash compactors, microwave ovens, and induction cookers, etc.)
• Consumer Electronics (Mobile Devices, Wearables, TVs, Set Top Boxes, Monitors, Laptops, Tablets, Computers, Printers, Scanners, etc.)
• Industrial Electronics (IT & Telecom Equipment, IT Accessories, PCBs, Digital Boards, Datacentres, Medical Equipment and Accessories, etc.)
• Others

By Material Type:

• Metal
• Plastic
• Glass
• Others

By Application Type:

• Trashed
• Recycled

Intended audience:

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations and organisations related to the E-Waste Management industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.