Web of Waste: Investigating the Risk of Waste Crimes in Cyber-Space

Knowledge and evidence of the illegal online trade in waste are still scarce in the ASEAN region and globally. A rapid assessment by GRID-Arendal has highlighted the challenges of identifying the practice, which can occur over social media or via various e-commerce platforms, but there is little other information available. To gain a deeper insight into the issue, the UNODC Unwaste team organized a virtual consultation in February 2023 with experts on the topics of crimes that affect the environment and cybercrime. This report is based on the outcomes of the expert consultation and, where specifically noted, on the GRID-Arendal rapid assessment. It also takes into account the results of the first joint UNODC-UNEP Unwaste regional meeting, held in Bangkok in June 2023.