Wastes from Industrialized Nations: A Socio-economic Inquiry on E-waste Management for the Recycling Sector in Nigeria

Abstract

An "assessment of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste) management strategies in Southeastern Nigeria" was conducted towards suggesting appropriate implementable measures. This submission presents a key outcome of a socioeconomic study on factors influencing the paths of e-waste generation and control with a view to suggesting innovative measures and market potentials for firms in the recycling sector. The concept of the study highlighted strategic features in-line with the socioeconomic assessment of e-waste management. Potentials for innovation in e-waste recycling were discussed in-line with elements of sustainability. The research introduced investigative methods by questionnaire administration. Purposive selections of local government areas were made from five mutually exclusive states. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results revealed the reasons limiting e-waste management trends to include cheap pricing, availability, quality, as well as superiority of obsolete e-devices to newer EEE. Sustainable benchmarks for evaluating and adopting e-waste recycling technologies were recommended.