Motivational Theories and Trends Driving E-Waste Recycling: A Meta-Synthesis of Bibliometric Reviews Aligned with SDG Goals

Purpose: Electronic waste or e-waste management has emerged as a significant challenge worldwide, which demands technology-driven and innovative approaches to resolve the challenge. A profound disparity continues in existing research employing scientific mapping or bibliometric analysis to pinpoint and scrutinise e-waste recycling actions and how mobile applications mediate the process despite the proliferation of relevant studies. Design/Methodology/Approach: A bibliometric analysis was conducted by gathering data from the Scopus database. Particularly, existing journals, impactful authors, current academic trends, keywords, motivational frameworks, publication nations, and other pertinent topics were investigated by performing a systematic literature review (SLR) with bibliometric techniques on the VOSviewer software. Results: A total of 626 journal articles with 339 keywords were appraised, with the period between 2004 until 2024 being the most prolific. Both the Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability (Switzerland) were the leading journals while Li Jinhui of Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, was the most impactful scholar. The prior studies identify a popular motivational theories on this topic encompassed Self-Determination Theory, Theory of Consumption Values, Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and Protection Motivation Theory (PMT). The VOSviewer software also depicted the highest contributions from the five nations, namely the United States of America (USA), China, the United Kingdom (UK), India, and Australia, which emphasised international initiatives to resolve e-waste management issues by incorporating innovative technologies. Simultaneously, keyword mapping demonstrated primary themes, including smart e-waste bins, mobile applications, and quick response (QR) codes, which highlighted the higher significance of digital solutions, such as Internet of Things (IoT) -based systems, in enhancing e-waste tracking, gathering, and recycling. Limitations: Future scholars can include other technological areas and more databases, including Web of Science. Conclusions: The existing knowledge corpus was enriched, especially the conceptual models on e-waste management via technological innovations. Mobile applications and relevant IoT applications could assist in optimising recycling processes. Hence, the findings further advanced the current discipline by critically analysing Scopus articles, suggesting future directions, and recommending effective sustainable e-waste management approaches.