Drivers of knowledge accumulation in electronic waste management: An analysis of publication data

The increased number and shorter life cycles of electronic devices are resulting in a rapidly growing stream of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) worldwide. The environmentally sound disposal of this waste stream is a complex activity that involves several steps and stakeholders. The aim of this article is to investigate the process of knowledge creation in WEEE management, based on publications data retrieved from the Thompson Web of Science (WoS). Using a dataset of publications dated between 1985 and 2013, we evaluate the role of three major drivers of knowledge creation: innovation induced by the high price of precious materials; technological advances; and regulatory stringency. Analysis of the global map of science highlights patterns of increased diversification of research domains and an impact of regulation and raw price material on the development of new research in different disciplines. This contributes to the policy debate on how to encourage more research in the field of WEEE management.