Circular economy of e-waste: A critical analysis in Indian context

Over the past few decades, the electric and electronic industry has experienced a rapid expansion, leading to an alarming increase in product obsolescence and, subsequently, a surge in unused electrical and electronic products, commonly termed e-waste. The concept of a circular economy, focused on c...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jaiswal, Swatantra Kumar, Mukti, Suraj Kumar, Agrawal, Animesh
Format: Conference Proceeding
Language:English
Subjects:
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Summary:Over the past few decades, the electric and electronic industry has experienced a rapid expansion, leading to an alarming increase in product obsolescence and, subsequently, a surge in unused electrical and electronic products, commonly termed e-waste. The concept of a circular economy, focused on closing the material cycle within product ecosystems, has emerged as a pivotal approach to tackle the challenges associated with this growing volume of e-waste. Nevertheless, in developing countries like India, the current scenario presents a myriad of complexities in managing the mounting e-waste. The most viable solution lies in not only reducing waste output but also promoting recycling practices. The core objective of this article is to pinpoint the barriers to effective e-waste management, drawing from both existing literature and expert opinions. These barriers have been meticulously analyzed using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) technique. The analysis reveals the identification of eleven distinct barriers and the establishment of contextual relationships among them. The findings underscore that a lack of incentives, limited customer awareness regarding circular economy principles, and the absence of comprehensive government policies are the primary impediments significantly affecting the transition towards a circular economy for e-waste management in India.
ISSN:0094-243X
1551-7616
DOI:10.1063/5.0186573