UNODC report: illegal waste flows harm health, environment and economies in low‑income countries
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Summary
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime released an analysis showing illegal waste trafficking — including plastics and e‑waste — moves from high‑ to low‑income regions, driven by organized‑crime, corporate involvement, weak laws and low penalties, the briefing said.
During the Feb. 26 United Nations press briefing, the spokesperson highlighted a new analysis from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime showing that illegal waste flows cause economic, public‑health and environmental damage, particularly in low‑income countries.
The study, the spokesperson said, documents trafficking routes that move difficult or costly waste from high‑income to low‑income regions. It identifies plastics and electronic waste as examples of hazardous or chemically‑contaminated materials that impose risks on receiving communities.
UNODC found that organized‑crime groups and corporate actors are often involved; gaps in legislation, weak enforcement and limited traceability, together with low penalties, facilitate an illicit trade the briefing said some estimate to be worth billions of dollars.
The spokesperson presented the UNODC findings as a call to strengthen legal frameworks and enforcement to prevent trafficking and protect vulnerable communities.