Does E-Waste Recycling Promote Environmental Quality in the EU? E-Waste Policy-Oriented Empirical Analysis for SDGs 12 and 13

This study tackles the issue using an innovative, multidimensional approach that considers economic indicators and the e-waste problem triggered by technological developments, while evaluating environmental sustainability. The original contribution lies in being the first study to examine e-waste recycling rates through the lens of the “load capacity curve hypothesis” (LCCh). Empirical scrutiny of the top 10 European Union (EU) countries that generated the highest e-waste from 2007 to 2022 verified the validity of the LCCh. The “Environmental Kuznets Curve Hypothesis” (EKCh) is confirmed for Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but not Ecological Footprint (EF). Moreover, in lieu of e-waste density, elevated e-waste e-recycling rates have been shown to enhance the ecological structure. Empirical evidence suggests that prolonged use of e-devices, along with reduced waste and increased recycling rates, is essential for improving environmental quality.