Southeast Asia Faces E-Waste Crisis with Dead Battery Deluge Looming

Southeast Asia lags behind in recycling electronic waste, facing a potential flood of used batteries by 2040. EcoNiLi, a company founded by Jayden Goh, is addressing this challenge by expanding its battery recycling capacity. However, despite the push for electrification, insufficient infrastructure and policies hinder effective recycling.

Southeast Asia is struggling to keep up with the global shift towards electrification, resulting in a growing concern over the region's recycling capacity for electronic waste. A significant increase in dead batteries is anticipated by 2040, sparking debates on how to handle this looming environmental crisis.

Founded in 2019 by Jayden Goh, EcoNiLi is tackling the issue by expanding its operations across Southeast Asia to salvage valuable minerals from used batteries. Despite the rising need for battery recycling, experts argue that Southeast Asia's policies and infrastructure remain inadequate.

While countries like China and the EU enforce battery component reuse, Southeast Asia lags, raising alarms among advocates and industry leaders. Initiatives like Singapore's new recycling facilities and Indonesia's regulatory efforts highlight progress, yet the challenge of effectively managing e-waste persists in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)