Unraveling Challenges in E-Waste Management: Insights from the Western Province of Sri Lanka

The purpose of this research is to explore the challenges in managing e-waste in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. This research employs a qualitative approach and is grounded in a constructivist epistemology. The population consists of key stakeholders involved in e-waste management in the Western province, Sri Lanka. The selected sample consisted of nine stakeholders, selected through a purposeful sampling technique. The semi-structured interview method with an interview guide was used to collect data from the participants. The interviews were recorded with the consent of the participants and the audio recordings were transcribed and manually coded for analysis. The six-step thematic analysis technique, which was introduced by Braun and Clarke (2006), was used to analyze the data. The study revealed five main challenges: financial matters, ineffective government intervention, negative attitudes, lack of technical knowledge, and lack of infrastructure facilities. It provides a deep understanding of systematic challenges faced by formal and informal e-waste collectors, governments in developing countries, and the people in effectively managing e-waste. This contributes to institutional theory by demonstrating how weak regulatory frameworks and financial constraints in developing countries hinder sustainable waste management practices. Furthermore, it extends the Theory of Planned Behaviour by showing that in e-waste management, even when awareness exists, technical knowledge gaps and negative perceptions prevent action. The lack of infrastructure facilities suggests that e-waste management requires both technological and social interventions. This supports the Socio-Technical Systems Theory, which posits that effective problem-solving requires aligning social, technical, and policy aspects. Finally, these findings will help to propose a comprehensive model for e-waste management addressing challenges with suitable strategies in the future.