Circular Economy Implementation in the Electric and Electronic Equipment Industry: Challenges and Opportunities

Margaret Zoka and Romana Korez Vide ()
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Margaret Zoka: Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Romana Korez Vide: Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Razlagova 14, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-30

Abstract: The circular economy (CE) encourages sustainability by shifting towards business models that prolong resource use. The quantity of waste generated by electric and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste) is rapidly rising and is one of the fastest-growing waste streams. Our paper explores the awareness, benefits, barriers, incentives, and implementation of CE in the electric and electronic equipment (EEE) industry in Slovenia and Croatia. In the theoretical section, we review the existing literature on CE, the EEE industry in both countries, and their policy frameworks for developing CE. Based on primary research through a survey and inferential statistical analysis in the empirical section, we investigate the implementation of CE in the EEE industry in both countries. This paper identifies which CE practices companies in the EEE industry implement, how company size affects CE implementation, how companies evaluate institutional support to CE, and their plans regarding CE. The results highlight some differences between the two countries. Drawing on the empirical findings, we determine key challenges and opportunities for increasing CE adoption in this sector and formulate some European suggestions for policymakers, industry practitioners, and researchers.

Keywords: sustainability; circular economy; electric and electronic equipment industry; e-waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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