Amman, July 13 (Petra) -- Jordan is ramping up its electronic waste recycling infrastructure and implementing strict import regulations as part of its strategy to mitigate environmental hazards and capture the economic potential of the circular economy, officials said on Monday.
The rapid expansion of electrical and electronic equipment has made e-waste one of the fastest-growing waste streams globally. While untreated e-waste poses severe health risks due to toxic materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium, it also presents a lucrative economic opportunity through the recovery of valuable metals such as copper, aluminum, and rare earth elements.
Mahmoud Al-Zaboun, Acting Director of the Hazardous Waste Directorate at the Ministry of Environment, told Petra that the German Jordanian University is collaborating with the ministry, the Jordan Customs Department, the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization, and the Public Security Directorate to develop a tracking system for electric and hybrid vehicle batteries throughout their lifecycle.
Al-Zaboun added that the joint study proposes establishing an accredited laboratory to test the efficiency and safety of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries to support the technical and regulatory oversight of the sector.
To regulate current waste streams, the Ministry of Environment has licensed three specialized companies to collect and export used electric and hybrid vehicle batteries, Al-Zaboun said. He added that the ministry has equipped a dedicated warehouse at the hazardous waste treatment center with specialized testing devices to analyze toxic materials in incoming electronic waste.
Furthermore, Al-Zaboun revealed that the ministry has banned the import of used electrical and electronic equipment, used batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles, and mercury-containing lighting units, effective from the beginning of 2026.
As part of its shift toward a circular economy that transforms waste into valuable secondary resources, the ministry has established nine designated e-waste collection sites across Amman, Irbid, Zarqa, and Aqaba in cooperation with local and international partners. Additionally, Jordan has licensed eight specialized e-waste recycling factories and 34 collection centers.
According to Al-Zaboun, these initiatives include launching Jordan's first "recycling bank" facility on a 3,000-square-meter plot in Amman's Tla' Al-Ali district, alongside an electric vehicle battery recycling project at the German Jordanian University with an annual processing capacity of 6,000 tons.
The President of the National Center for Environmental Justice (NCEJ), Mohammad Eyadat, warned that global e-waste is projected to reach 82 million tons by 2030, driven by rising consumption, shorter product lifespans, and rapid replacement rates.
Eyadat noted that Jordan possesses an advanced legislative framework to regulate waste management, anchored by the Environmental Protection Law of 2017, the Waste Management Framework Law of 2020, and the Hazardous Waste Management Regulation of 2020.
Nidal Al Ouran, Commissioner for Environment and Public Safety at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, emphasized that sustainable e-waste projects not only protect public health but also drive economic growth by creating new jobs and attracting green investments into the country's circular economy.
//Petra// AF
