Comparative Analysis of E-Waste Management Policies and Institutional Barriers

In the Tourism and Hospitality Sectors of the UK and South Africa

The rapid digitalisation of businesses, including the tourism and hospitality industry, marked by the use of smart technologies, digital booking systems, energy-efficient appliances, and customer service automation, has significantly increased electronic waste (e-waste) generation (Cucchiella, D’Adamo, & Rosa, 2015; Quinto et al., 2025). If not correctly managed, E-waste contains hazardous materials that pose severe environmental and health risks. Still, it also holds valuable resources that can be recovered through effective recycling and reuse (Mubanza Z. J., 2025; Forti et al., 2020).

While developed nations such as the United Kingdom have well-established regulatory frameworks and recycling infrastructure for e-waste management, developing economies such as South Africa face persistent challenges, including limited policy enforcement, informal recycling systems, and low industry awareness (United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP], 2023). The tourism and hospitality sector, often overlooked in discussions of e-waste, contributes significantly to the growing volume of discarded electronic equipment, ranging from outdated ICT systems to obsolete kitchen and entertainment technologies.

This study aims to bridge two critical gaps: 1. There is a lack of comparative research on e-waste management policies specific to the hospitality industry across developed and developing contexts. 2. There is a need to understand institutional enablers and barriers that shape recycling and reuse practices within hospitality businesses. A comparative analysis between the UK and South Africa offers valuable perspectives into how policy frameworks, institutional arrangements, and stakeholder behaviours influence sustainable e-waste practices in hospitality operations.

Aims and Objectives

To review and compare the existing e-waste management policies, regulations, and frameworks governing the tourism and hospitality sectors in the UK and South Africa.
To examine the institutional structures, governance mechanisms, and stakeholder roles in e-waste management within hospitality businesses in both countries.
To identify barriers hindering effective e-waste recycling and reuse practices in the hospitality sector.
To explore institutional and organisational enablers that promote sustainable e-waste management.
To propose a strategic framework for enhancing e-waste management and circular economy adoption in hospitality businesses across the UK and South Africa.

University of York Collaborator

Sean Thomas - York Law School, University of York

Bio: My research concerns, broadly, the transfer of ownership of personal property. I approach this fundamental issue by examining the interconnections of forms and methods of ownership and control of personal, real and intellectual property drawing on multiple disciplinary and methodological foundations. I have expertise in title conflicts (particularly comparative analysis with United States law), the historical development of commercial law, and the interface between goods, intellectual property, and land. I also have a longstanding interest in radical property practices, and my work on freeganism and waste has been cited widely across disciplinary boundaries and has attracted media and other interest.

Recently my work has concentrated on two areas of growing importance: circular economy, and smart technology. My analyses of law and circular economics was amongst the first in the field (and was the first considering English and Welsh law and circular economy); I have a rather sceptical view of the legal implications of circular economics on the ownership and use of goods. I have also published work examining the interface between sales law and smart technologies; again, I am critical of the possible implications for ownership of goods.

International Collaborator

Reshma Sucheran, Durban University of Technology (DUT). South Africa

Bio: Professor Reshma Sucheran is a distinguished South African academic and researcher specialising in sustainable tourism and environmental management. Reshma has a PhD in Geography & Environmental Management (2009–2013). Reshma serves as an Associate Professor and Department Research Chair in the Department of Hospitality & Tourism at Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South Africa. Her key responsibilities include lecturing undergraduate and postgraduate courses and supervising Master's and Doctoral research students. Her teaching and research focus is Sustainable Tourism Development and Planning, Climate Change and Environmental Management for Tourism, Research Methodology, Tourism Management, and Sustainable Tourism Operations.

Reshma is currently the Tourism Community of Practice Leader at the BRICS Research Institute, DUT. Reshma's research focuses on Sustainable Tourism Development and Management, Climate Change and Tourism, Waste, Water and Energy Management, Environmental Management in the Tourism Sector, Crises and Disasters affecting the Tourism Sector, and Tourism Skills, Training and Education. She has engaged in international collaborations, including an ongoing project on Energy Resilience and Sustainability in BRICS+ Nations with Pandit Deendayal Energy University, India (2024); guest lecturing at Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany (June 2023); a project on Innovative Business Strategies in Response to COVID-19’s Impact on Tourism with partners from Western Sydney University, Australia, and Vietnam (2022–2023); Creative Tourism initiatives with the University of Coimbra, Portugal (2021–2022); Revitalizing Economies through Smart Cities with the University of Quebec at Montreal, Canada (2022–present); and the BRICS+ Research Institute involving DUT, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) and Saint Petersburg State University (Russia). Reshma has several accredited journal publications and book chapters. As the sole editor, she led the book Sustainable Waste Management in the Tourism and Hospitality Sectors (IGI Global, 2025).

Project Partners

Durban University of Technology