Assessment of Barriers to Effective E-Waste Management in Hotels in Naivasha Sub-County, Kenya

The rapid growth of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as a major environmental and public health challenge, particularly in developing countries where, inadequate recycling infrastructure and weak institutional capacity hinder sustainable waste management. Although the hospitality industry is an important generator of e-waste due to its intensive use and frequent replacement of electrical and electronic equipment, empirical evidence on the barriers to its effective management in hotels remains limited, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the barriers hindering effective e-waste management among classified hotels in Naivasha Sub-County, Kenya. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed involving 69 stratified randomly selected hotels and five purposively selected key informants from environmental, public health, tourism, and regulatory institutions. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, hierarchical multiple regression, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), while qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis and integrated through triangulation. Limited access to licensed e-waste recyclers (91.3%) and inadequate recycling infrastructure (88.4%) emerged as the most prevalent barriers, followed by inadequate staff training (59.4%), high disposal costs (53.6%), limited environmental awareness (53.6%), weak regulatory enforcement (49.3%), and unclear institutional procedures (47.8%). Barriers exhibited a significant negative relationship with effective e-waste management (r = −0.589, p < 0.001) and remained a significant independent predictor after controlling for other explanatory variables (β = −0.247, p = 0.016). Conversely, applicable regulatory frameworks were the strongest positive predictor of effective e-waste management (β = 0.561, p < 0.001). The final hierarchical regression model explained 69.6% of the variance in effective e-waste management (R² = 0.696; Adjusted R² = 0.672; F (5,63) = 28.843, p < 0.001), demonstrating substantial explanatory power. Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results by identifying weak institutional coordination, inadequate technical capacity, and insufficient investment in formal recycling systems as persistent systemic constraints. The findings demonstrate that institutional and structural barriers, rather than operational factors alone, are the principal determinants of effective e-waste management in hotels. This study contributes novel empirical evidence from the hospitality sector in a developing-country context, underscoring the need for integrated policy interventions that strengthen recycling infrastructure, improves access to licensed recyclers, enhances regulatory enforcement, builds organizational capacity through targeted training, and provide economic incentives to support formal e-waste management. The findings also offer practical guidance for policymakers, environmental regulators, and the industry in advancing sustainable e-waste governance and circular economy initiatives.