Evaluating critical barriers to implementation of WEEE management using DEMATEL approach

The generation of waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has increased proportionally across the world, and the developed countries due to regulatory pressures have made technological upgradations and practices to manage this huge quantity of waste. However, the developing countries like India are facing numerous hurdles in managing the huge quantity of WEEE. Therefore, this study aims to first identify the barriers of WEEE management in the context of India and subsequently analyze those barriers that need to be addressed urgently to manage this issue. Through extensive literature review, expert inputs, we have identified seven primary barriers and forty-four sub-barriers and then rationalize with various socio-economic theories. Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) is applied in this study to prioritize the barriers and then identify the interdependence of these barriers on each other. The results indicate that the policy and regulatory barriers and the infrastructural barriers are the prominent barriers for effective management of WEEE. Further, the results obtained through DEMATEL analysis indicate that the policy and regulatory barriers as well as the socio economic barriers are the most prominent barriers with maximum driving effect on the overall system.