Prospects of Digital Media Usage for Sustainable E-Waste Management

In today’s technology-driven age, the management of electronic waste (e-waste) has become a global issue that impacts sustainable environmental management and creates environmental and health challenges. In this study, we reviewed the literature to explore the prospects of digital media to promote and encourage sustainable e-waste management practices. This article provides a bibliometric literature review of the prospects of digital media for sustainable e-waste management. To conduct the review, we performed a Boolean search on the Scopus database and obtained 495 records, which we then analyzed bibliometrically using the bibliometrix package in R. This study found six significant themes: e-waste, information and communication technology, waste management, digital media communication, environmental sustainability, and green communication. We found that digital platforms, including social media, mobile applications, and websites, have emerged as powerful tools for creating awareness, engagement, and facilitating e-waste recycling initiatives. Their widespread reach and accessibility have brought environmental issues to the forefront of public consciousness, making them more accessible and effective. However, the availability of literature on communicating e-waste management issues using digital media platforms is limited. This review suggests to focus on research related to e-waste management using digital media platforms, as we found social media to be an effective tool for promoting sustainable attitudes and behaviors. This study has significant implications for practitioners, stakeholders, policymakers, and scholars seeking research on utilizing digital media communication to promote sustainability initiatives and address the environmental impact of e-waste.