Japan, ASEAN partner to recover critical metals from e-waste

Tokyo to help region set up rules for environmentally safe extraction

20230824N electronic waste

The ASEAN region produced 3.5 million tonnes of electronic waste, such as circuit boards, in 2019. © Reuters

MASAHISA TANAKA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Japan will work with ASEAN member nations to safely extract critical materials from discarded smartphones and other devices, seeking to tap the region's growing e-waste for key resources. 

The Japanese government and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations agreed on the cooperation at an environment ministers' meeting on Thursday.

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