Assessing the readiness of Malaysia’s recycling industry for sustainable transboundary e-waste management

As the volume of electronic waste (e-waste) rises globally, developing countries like Malaysia face mounting pressure to align with international regulatory expectations and sustainability commitments, particularly under the Swiss-Ghana Amendments of the Basel Convention. Despite Malaysia’s formal regulatory structures and active licensing of recovery facilities, existing studies have largely focused on household management and policy awareness, while the practical readiness of its e-waste recycling industry remains underexplored. This study applies Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS to assess nine critical factors influencing the readiness of Malaysia’s e-waste recycling industry, based on 148 responses from licensed collectors and recovery facilities. The results reveal that all constructs significantly influence readiness, with the strongest effects observed from Regulatory Landscape, Financial Stability, and Technological Infrastructure. Beyond these foundational capacities, elements such as supply chain management, innovation, and workforce development are also vital to enhancing competitiveness, environmental performance, and long-term sustainability. This study contributes to theory by extending readiness research into the domain of environmental management and to practice by offering a structured framework to support policymakers and industry stakeholders in strengthening Malaysia’s e-waste governance.