Economic Diplomacy and Sustainability: Aligning Pakistan’s E-Waste Sector with SDG 8, 12 through Formalization

Electronic waste (e-waste) presents a growing environmental and economic challenge for developing countries like Pakistan, where rapid technological adoption and high electronic consumption are not matched by appropriate waste management infrastructure. The dominance of informal recycling methods—such as manual dismantling, open burning, and acid leaching—has led to serious public health concerns, environmental degradation, and inefficient resource recovery. This study explores the transition from informal to formal e-waste management in Pakistan by applying two theoretical frameworks: Circular Economy (CE) Theory and Sustainable Development Theory. CE emphasizes the continuous reuse and recycling of materials in a closed-loop system, while Sustainable Development Theory focuses on achieving balanced progress across economic growth, environmental protection, and social equity.

Through comparative analysis of successful models in China and India, the study proposes a context-specific hybrid framework for Pakistan that incorporates regulatory mechanisms, public-private partnerships, and the integration of informal workers into the formal sector. Findings indicate that formalizing the e-waste sector can significantly enhance material recovery—especially of valuable resources like copper and gold—create decent employment, improve occupational safety, and increase government revenue through taxation.Aligning with SDG 8, this research offers actionable policy recommendations to foster an inclusive, sustainable, and economically viable e-waste ecosystem in Pakistan.