Towards a sustainable electronic waste management in Uganda: A stakeholder perspective

Abstract

The management of electrical and electronic waste (E-waste) requires a collaborative approach against unsustainable electronic waste management. This paper attempts to assess the role of E-waste actors in regard to E-waste management sustainability by evaluating their course of action. It proposes an Ewaste management conceptual framework based on key stakeholders and validates it with 346 top government employees in strategic positions across 10 Ugandan cities. The study utilized Partial Least Square (PLS) technique, a statistical analysis method well-known under Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), for data analysis. The calculated and considered model explains 48.5% of the variance in E-waste management sustainability. The results demonstrate that E-waste handlers role (β = 0.102, t = 2.004, p<0.05), financial institutions role (β = 0.268, t = 2.024, p < 0.05), local government role (β = 0.249, t = 3.612, p < 0.05), role of media (β = 0.316, t = 6.637, p < 0.05), and producer role (β = 0.144, t = 2.845, p<0.05) have significant influence on E-waste management sustainability. However, consumer role in Ewaste (β = -0.051, t = 0.838, p > 0.01) had an insignificant influence on E-waste management sustainability, although, its importance is discussed. The attention of policymakers and waste management planners is drawn towards strengthening the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), fasttracking the implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model as an E-waste management model and initiation of E-waste Web-based applications are some of the policy recommendations in this paper. This will ensure sound E-waste management practices for better public health and environmental outcomes.

Shaping the Future of Environmental Economics: A Bibliometric Review of Current Trends and Future Directions

“…The importance of economic activities in influencing the environment and advancing sustainable development is now widely acknowledged. There is a growing recognition among governments, organizations, and individuals about the importance of assessing the expenses and advantages of environmental policies and interventions in order to fulfill their dedication to attaining Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Nyeko et al, 2022). With the growing interest in environmental economics, it is crucial to understand the current research landscape in this field.…”