Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Project

Degree Name

Master of Science in Information Systems and Technology

Department

College of Business and Public Administration

First Reader/Committee Chair

Dr. Sepideh Alavi

Abstract

The rapid expansion of the electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) industry has led to a critical surge in electronic waste (e-waste), which is currently growing at an annual rate of 4%. E-waste contains hazardous substances such as mercury, cadmium, and lead, which contribute significantly to environmental degradation and pose serious health risks—particularly in low- and middle-income countries where proper recycling infrastructure is lacking. In response, electronics manufacturers increasingly rely on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting frameworks to demonstrate transparency and accountability. However, a significant gap persists between what companies choose to report and what stakeholders—particularly consumers—expect to see.

This research explores that disconnect, focusing on how corporate sustainability reports align (or fail to align) with consumer priorities, especially in the context of e-waste management. The study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining consumer sentiment analysis from Reddit with structured environmental data sourced from e-waste datasets. Reddit was selected as the primary social media source due to its high engagement in niche forums like r/RightToRepair and r/ZeroWaste, where users engage in detailed, transparent discussions. This platform allowed for nuanced insights into stakeholder expectations related to repairability, transparency, and sustainability.

Natural language processing techniques, including sentiment analysis using the VADER method and topic modeling via Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), were employed to extract key concerns from over 1,000 Reddit posts. Simultaneously, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted on quantitative e-waste data to assess real environmental performance across various product categories. The integration of these two data streams—public sentiment and lifecycle metrics—offered a comprehensive view of sustainability communication gaps.

Findings show that while ESG reports commonly highlight high-level environmental metrics such as carbon footprint and energy efficiency, consumers are more concerned with practical issues like product durability, ease of repair, and toxic material disclosure. Sentiment analysis revealed positive attitudes toward clean energy initiatives but strong negativity around greenwashing and the lack of product-level accountability. LDA modeling confirmed that repairability is a more dominant theme in public discourse than broad climate commitments, emphasizing the need for companies to address sustainability at the product design level.

Furthermore, correlation analysis between consumer sentiment and reported carbon emissions revealed only a weak association, suggesting that favorable public opinion does not necessarily reflect improved environmental performance. This discrepancy underlines the importance of aligning ESG disclosures with measurable, product-specific data.

By highlighting these gaps, this study offers actionable recommendations: enhance ESG transparency with product-level LCA metrics, monitor real-time stakeholder sentiment, use accessible language in reporting, and adopt more consumer-centric communication strategies. The findings contribute to the evolving discourse on responsible production (SDG 12) and provide a framework for electronics companies to improve both the content and impact of their sustainability reports. Ultimately, this research emphasizes that successful sustainability reporting must bridge corporate priorities and consumer expectations to achieve meaningful progress in environmental stewardship.

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