Strategic Framework of Sustainable Shadow Pricing for Mitigating E-Waste Contamination, Safeguarding Tourism, and Enhancing Blue Economy Resilience

The rapid proliferation of electronic waste (e-waste) threatens the global blue economy through toxic heavy metal leaching (Cd, Pb, Hg) into coastal ecosystems. Coastal cities heavily dependent on tourism often view e-waste management as a budgetary burden rather than an economic necessity. This study examines e-waste valorization in Alexandria, Egypt, managing 21,900 tons/year. Under baseline conditions, unmanaged disposal inflicts USD 1290 million/year in resident health and tourism losses. An advanced circular strategy integrating wetland phytoremediation, heavy metal extraction, and biomass pyrolysis is evaluated. Capital and operational expenditures reach USD 36.3 million/year (USD 1.66/kg e-waste). Incorporating shadow pricing for a conservative 1% avoided damage assumption yields USD 12.9 million/year, while secondary recovery (metals, biochar, carbon credits) and detoxification add USD 32.92 million/year. Furthermore, life cycle assessment (LCA) demonstrates a 65.8% environmental damage reduction, translating to USD 8.49 million annually that directly contributes to the project’s cash flow. Integrating these revenues improves financial feasibility, shortening the payback period from 9.77 to 4.56 years and boosting the internal rate of return from 0.4% to 17.6%. Because project viability holds up to an e-waste threshold of ~0.046 kg/(capita⋅day), future research must explore alternative management options for higher generation volumes, securing tourism-driven economies and aligning with the 2030 sustainable development agenda.