Old computers, mobile phones, and data centre servers make up the world’s fastest-growing waste stream. But less than one-quarter of electronic waste is collected and given a second life, according to the United Nations’ 2024 Global E-Waste Monitor, underscoring the importance of fighting mounting e-waste.

The e-waste problem is particularly acute in Southeast Asia, a region that has become both a major producer and recipient of the world’s discarded technology. Between 2023 and 2025, the regional bloc received over 10,000 containers of discarded electronics – valued at more than US$1 billion – from the United States alone, an investigation by waste advocacy group Basel Action Network (BAN) found in October.

As digital adoption across Southeast Asia accelerates, so too does the churn of devices, from personal gadgets to enterprise-scale hardware. The environmental and social toll of discarded electronics is considerable: toxic metals and plastics from landfilled gadgets leak into soil and waterways, while informal recyclers are exposed to heavy metals and toxic organic compounds released as they recover precious materials such as copper and gold.

Yet Southeast Asia’s growing e-waste burden also points to an overlooked opportunity. Rather than treating used electronics as scrap to be melted down or buried, extending their usable life through repair, refurbishment, and responsible data destruction offers a better path. Reuse keeps carbon-intensive devices in circulation, reduces the need for new manufacturing, and provides more affordable technology to communities and small businesses. It also supports skilled jobs in diagnostics, data sanitisation, and hardware recovery – sectors that could anchor a more circular, service-oriented economy in Southeast Asia.

This “reuse first” mindset is central to the mission of Arkiva, a Singapore-based company specialising in secure data destruction and laptop repair. Arkiva works with corporations, government agencies, and individuals to give aging devices a second life while ensuring that sensitive data does not fall into the wrong hands. Arkiva supports reuse culture in Singapore and the wider region – Singaporeans replace their mobile phone every 2.7 years, much faster than the global average of 3.5 years – by restoring used machines to full functionality, and reintroducing them into the market.

Read the full article about fighting e-waste in Southeast Asia by Robin Hicks at Eco-Business.