Indonesia begins re-exports of toxic US e-waste in crackdown on illegal imports

Batam Customs spokeswoman Evi Oktavia said further returns were being processed but that compiling a complete tally would take time.

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Authorities in Batam have begun sending hazardous electronic waste back to the United States, a tentative breakthrough in a case that has clogged one of Indonesia’s busiest ports with hundreds of suspect containers and tested the country’s ability to police such illegal imports.

Four containers of electronic waste classified as hazardous and toxic materials were shipped out last week from Batu Ampar Port under the supervision of Batam Customs, according to Indonesian media reports.

The move follows a blunt warning from Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq that Indonesia would not tolerate being turned into “a dumping ground” for illegal foreign waste.

The head of Batam Customs, Zaky Firmansyah, said re-export was mandatory once cargo had been confirmed to contain banned waste, leaving importers with no alternative but to send it back.

“All containers carrying hazardous and toxic waste must be re-exported. There is no other option,” he said, as quoted by local outlet iNews Batam in a report published on Thursday.

Customs identified the four containers as belonging to Esun Internasional Utama Indonesia and said they contained used electronic components such as computer parts, hard disks, printed circuit boards and other discarded equipment deemed hazardous under Indonesian law.

Officials have stressed that the shipment represents only a small fraction of the wider problem. According to Indonesian media, more than 900 containers are still being detained or placed under supervision at Batu Ampar, with dozens already inspected and confirmed to contain illegal electronic waste.

Batam Customs spokeswoman Evi Oktavia said further returns were being processed but that compiling a complete tally would take time.

“Based on submissions from the companies, several containers have already been re-exported. At the moment we are still finalising the full data and will convey it later,” she was quoted as saying by Batam Pos on Wednesday.

The case first emerged in late September last year, when inspectors from the environment ministry and customs discovered shipments allegedly misdeclared as recyclable materials but found to contain electronic waste falling into prohibited categories.

Environment Minister Hanif said at the time that the government would take a hard line against such practices.

“The government will not tolerate attempts to turn Indonesia into a dumping ground or processing site for illegal waste from overseas,” he said in a statement released by the ministry on October 3.

Rizal Irawan, a deputy for environmental law enforcement at the ministry, said the findings showed that illicit waste trafficking remained a persistent threat. “This discovery proves that attempts to import hazardous waste are still happening,” he said, according to the same statement.

Despite those assurances, progress on returning the containers had been slow, with officials citing the need to verify contents, confirm ownership and complete documentation before shipping could take place.

Local media reported that the four containers sent back this week were the first to clear those administrative hurdles and that further re-exports would follow in stages as paperwork for other consignments was finalised.

Environmental groups have long warned that illegal e-waste shipments pose serious risks in Indonesia, where informal recycling can expose workers and nearby communities to toxic substances such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants.

For Batam, a manufacturing and logistics hub just south of Singapore, the episode has also highlighted vulnerabilities in port oversight and the challenge of policing complex global waste trade networks, even as authorities vow to step up inspections and enforcement at Batu Ampar.

Indonesia has taken similar action before, stepping up returns of misdeclared imported waste from 2019 as Southeast Asian countries pushed back against becoming dumping grounds for foreign rubbish.

In that year alone, Indonesian authorities sent back hundreds of containers of contaminated paper and plastic waste to countries including Australia, France and several European states, following public protests and tougher enforcement.

 Courtesy: www.scmp.com