The increasing urgency of environmental challenges has intensified the need for businesses to adopt sustainable waste management strategies aligned with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. Organizations are under growing pressure from regulators, investors, and consumers to demonstrate environmental stewardship that goes beyond compliance to embody responsible resource use and transparent reporting. The study explored how businesses across various sectors integrate ESG frameworks into their waste management practices, aiming to identify strategic patterns, digital adoption trends, and implementation barriers. A qualitative research design was employed, incorporating semi-structured interviews with ESG and sustainability professionals from 15 organizations, complemented by secondary data analysis of corporate ESG reports and sustainability disclosures. Thematic content analysis was conducted to identify recurring patterns and sector-specific practices. The results revealed that while foundational practices like waste segregation and supplier audits were widely implemented, more advanced strategies such as circular procurement and zero-waste-to-landfill programs were less common. Digital tools like IoT and cloud dashboards were moderately adopted to support ESG reporting, whereas AI and blockchain technologies were used sparingly. Key barriers included financial constraints, limited technical skills, and fragmented regulatory guidance. The findings underscore the need for deeper ESG integration into waste management systems, supported by investment in technology, training, and policy alignment. Strategic recommendations include cross-functional ESG governance, capacity-building initiatives, and partnerships with digital solution providers. Future research should focus on longitudinal trends and the role of sustainability-linked financing in driving scalable, sector-wide transformation.
A. Balasubramanian (2025) studied this question.