E-Waste dumping in India: a green criminological perspective on transboundary environmental crime

Purpose This article focuses on the continuation of transboundary dumping of e-waste in India under a green criminology perspective. It positions the issue not just as a matter of regulatory non-adherence but as a structural environmental crime embedded in international trade systems. It highlights how legal ambiguities and trade loopholes sustain the illegal import of toxic waste despite formal prohibitions. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a doctrinal approach complemented by empirical data. Quantitative trade data from UN Comtrade (2018–2023) were triangulated with 29 confirmed customs-seizure cases and enforcement statistics, complemented by qualitative analysis of the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016 and the E-Waste Rules (2022). This design reveals how “used-EEE” provisions and HS-code ambiguities are exploited for concealment and misdeclaration. Findings Between 2020 and 2023, at least 29 illegal consignments chiefly from Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore were intercepted, commonly disguised as refurbished equipment or scrap. Germany alone reported over 25,000 tonnes of exports to India, while India’s own records listed under 8,000 tonnes of imports, exposing a massive reporting gap. The evidence shows that e-waste dumping in India is systemic rather than episodic, disproportionately exposing informal-sector workers to toxic hazards. Originality/value Through the reconsideration of the phenomenon of e-waste disposal as an environmental crime committed by state-corporate actors that have explicit justice connotations, the study contributes to the green-criminological literature and suggests specific amendments to address the weaknesses of governance and the asymmetries of enforcement that perpetuate transboundary pollution.