Exploring Industry-Specific Research Themes on E-Waste: A Literature Review

Hilal Shams (), Altaf Hossain Molla, Mohd Nizam Ab Rahman, Hawa Hishamuddin, Zambri Harun and Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar ()
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Hilal Shams: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Altaf Hossain Molla: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Mohd Nizam Ab Rahman: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Hawa Hishamuddin: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Zambri Harun: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Malaysia
Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar: School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 16, 1-22

Abstract: The usance of electric and electronic products has become commonplace across the globe. The growing number of customers and the demand for these products are resulting in the manufacturing of new electrical and electronic products into the market, which is ultimately generating a plethora of e-waste. The notion of a circular economy (CE) is attracting more researchers to work in the growing field of e-waste management. Considering e-waste as a prominent menace, the objective of this study was to undertake a comprehensive review of the literature by analyzing the research articles published in the MDPI Sustainability journal pertaining to the topic of e-waste in the context of operations and supply chain management (OSCM). This study was addressed via three research questions. A total of 87 selected papers from 2014 to 2023 were analyzed, reviewed, and categorized after data were collected from Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus academic databases with articles only published in the MDPI Sustainability journal. This entails identifying prominent research themes, publication trends, research evolution, research clusters, and industries related to e-waste through descriptive analysis. The field of study and methods employed were analyzed by means of content analysis by delving into the main body of the published articles. Further, four major research themes and clusters were identified: (1) closed-loop supply chains; (2) e-waste; (3) sustainable development; and (4) waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Consequently, this review can be a foundation for subsequent scholarly pursuits toward e-waste management and fresh lines of inquiry for the journal. Finally, in the conclusion section, some future research guidelines are also provided.

Keywords: e-waste; WEEE; sustainability; circular economy; electrical and electronic waste; journal review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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