ABSTRACT This study demonstrates how a profitable, lean, and environmentally responsible e‐waste reverse logistics system can be designed using integrated Operations Research (OR) techniques. Addressing the growing urgency of responsible consumption (UN SDG 12) and the projected rise of the e‐waste sector to USD 137.60 billion by 2029, the research develops decision structures that jointly optimise value recovery, emissions reduction and time efficiency. An extended multiple‐case design compares a formal municipal recycling centre with a decentralised, community‐based Repair Café model to capture variation in governance and recovery logic. aTrans‐shipment optimisation, mixed‐integer decision‐tree modelling and queueing theory are then applied to design emissions‐efficient network flows, select optimal repair–reuse–cannibalisation routes and configure service capacity. Results show that most products reach obsolescence within 4–8 years, that structured repair and urban‐mining decisions support economic viability and that optimised routing and service configuration reduce emissions and waiting times. The research advances circular economy and urban‐mining theory by operationalising the PURE and CReW frameworks, offering a scalable, optimisation‐driven architecture for municipalities, waste processors and circular service organisations.
Pathak et al. (Fri,) studied this question.