What Goes in the Galapagos Does Not Always Come out: A Political Industrial Ecology Case Study of E-Waste in Island Settings

Melanie E. Jones (), María José Barragán-Paladines and Carter A. Hunt
Additional contact information
Melanie E. Jones: Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA
María José Barragán-Paladines: Charles Darwin Research Station, Charles Darwin Foundation, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz 200102, Galapagos, Ecuador
Carter A. Hunt: Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, and Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, State College, PA 16802, USA

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: This study examines the challenges and opportunities of managing electronic waste (e-waste) in the Galapagos Islands, a globally significant yet vulnerable subnational insular jurisdiction (SNIJ). Drawing on theories of Circular Economy (CE) and Political Industrial Ecology (PIE), the research investigates the status of e-waste in the archipelago, the barriers to implementing CE practices, and the institutional dynamics shaping material flows. Using a mixed-methods approach—including archival analysis, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with key informants from government, private, and nonprofit sectors—the findings presented here demonstrate that e-waste management is hindered by limited capital, infrastructure, public awareness, and fragmented governance. While some high-capital institutions can export e-waste to mainland Ecuador, most residents and low-capital entities lack viable disposal options, leading to accumulation and improper disposal. The PIE analysis yielded findings that highlight how institutional power and financial capacity dictate the sustainability of e-waste pathways, with CE loops remaining largely incomplete. Despite national policy support for CE, implementation in Galapagos remains aspirational without targeted financial and logistical support. This case contributes to broader discussions on waste governance in island settings and underscores the need for integrated, equity-focused strategies to address e-waste in small island developing states (SIDS) and SNIJs globally.

Keywords: e-waste; political industrial ecology; material flow; circular economy; islands; subnational insular jurisdictions (SNIJs) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8704/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/19/8704/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:19:p:8704-:d:1759753

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().