ASEAN Waste Management Market Size (2024 - 2029)

ASEAN Waste Management Market Analysis

The ASEAN Waste Management Market size is estimated at USD 31.25 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 43.30 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 6.74% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

ASEAN's waste management is growing at a healthy rate owing to the fast-growing economies with the growing population, increased economic activity, urbanization, and industrialization.

• In recent years, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia have become the top destinations in Southeast Asia for the inflow of both legal and illegal waste from the US, Japan, the UK, the European Union (EU) and other countries. The sudden and sharp increase in waste imports has proved challenging for the countries in Southeast Asia, which have responded by returning containers of waste to the countries of origin, announcing bans on the import of some types of waste and tightening regulations and increasing enforcement. These measures resulted in a reduction in the amount of waste entering their countries.
• Despite current efforts, illegal waste continues to reach Southeast Asian countries. Uncontrolled and illicit waste flows are frequently hidden behind controlled or legal transboundary movements of goods - the boundaries between licit and illicit waste trafficking activities can be very thin, and the activities, actors, and modes of operation involved frequently overlap. The impact is magnified when destination countries lack enforcement capacity and/or adequate sanctions for illegal waste trade activities.
• With the increased waste generation in the region, open dumping and open burning of waste are highly prevalent in the majority of the ASEAN countries. Composting and anaerobic digestion of organic wastes, and recovery of valuable recyclables such as plastic, metal, and paper are quite common in ASEAN. Recycling, however, is more in the hands of the informal sector. Nevertheless, Singapore stands as an exception to other ASEAN countries, as it has a sound and well-structured waste management system in place. Singapore opts for waste to energy (WTE) through incineration as the major waste management option, due to its limited land resources.
• Southeast Asia's current production and consumption trajectory, as a result of its rapid growth, is increasingly putting a strain on the environment. Measures to contain the pandemic have exacerbated environmental pressures due to increased volumes of medical waste, plastics, and packaging as a result of the e-commerce boom, as well as other resource stresses. As the region's countries embark on their green recovery agenda in the aftermath of COVID-19, there is an urgent need to shift from the linear economic model of "take, make, waste" to a circular system. A circular economy is based on three principles: (i) reducing waste and pollution; (ii) reusing products and materials; and (iii) regenerating natural ecosystems.
• The region has created a framework that emphasises the importance of trade, technological innovation, and financial markets in accelerating circular transformation. The five strategic priorities outlined below will pave the way for a smooth transition to a circular economy. Standardization and mutual recognition of circular products and services.
• ASEAN countries must review existing arrangements in various sectors and harmonise standards in order to enable the trade of circular products and services and facilitate value chain integration. To mainstream and scale circularity, a widely accepted definition of circular products and services should be established through the development of a taxonomy, which can help businesses reduce compliance costs and unnecessary regulatory burdens.

ASEAN Waste Management Industry Segmentation

Waste management (or waste disposal) covers all of the procedures and actions necessary to control trash from the point of origin to the point of disposal. This covers garbage collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal, as well as the oversight and control of the waste management procedure. A complete background analysis of the ASEAN Waste Management Market, including the assessment of the economy and contribution of sectors in the economy, market overview, market size estimation for key segments, and emerging trends in the market segments, market dynamics, and geographical trends, and COVID-19 impact is included in the report.

The ASEAN Waste Management Market is segmented By Waste Type (Industrial Waste, Municipal Solid Waste, E-Waste, and Other Waste Types), By Disposal methods (Collection, Landfills, and Others), and By Geography (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Rest of ASEAN). The report offers market size and forecasts in value (USD billion) for all the above segments.