China’s　Belt　and　Road　Initiative　(BRI)　is　a　global　development　strategy,　representing　great　potentials　for　multilateral　trade　cooperation　and　economic　growth　in　Asia,　Europe　and　Africa.　The　trade　volume　of　commodities　along　the　BRI　countries　booms　in　the　last　few　years.　The　commodities　trade　attracts　extensive　attention　worldwide,　but　the　waste　and　scrap　(WaS)　trade　received　little　attention.　To　fill　this　gap,　this　study　reviews　the　dynamic　evolution　of　the　WaS　trade　network　and　evaluates　the　potential　WaS　trade　risks　in　the　BRI　countries　from　three　real　world　scenarios.　First,　this　study　constructs　the　WaS　trade　networks　among　the　BRI　countries　from　1989　to　2018.　Second,　the　synopsis　of　the　WaS　trade　network　is　reviewed.　Third,　the　shock　models　are　built　to　analyze　the　impact　of　shocks　in　three　scenarios　on　the　stability　of　trade　cooperation　among　the　BRI　countries.　Finally,　the　policy　implications　are　provided　to　promote　the　WaS　trade　collaboration　among　the　BRI　countries.　This　study　is　valuable　because　it　is　the　first　time　to　identify　the　WaS　trade　risk　among　the　BRI　countries.　It　will　support　policy-makers　to　build　an　effective　collaboration　mechanism　to　alleviate　resource　shortage　and　tackle　the　global　WaS　crisis.　©　2020,　The　Author(s),　under　exclusive　license　to　Springer　Nature　Singapore　Pte　Ltd.