A Comprehensive Strategy Framework in the Adoption of Green Technology in Waste Management in Industries: A Case Study of Afghanistan

Abstract

In Afghanistan, industrial waste has significantly increased due to industrial development, posing a threat to the health and welfare of the people, soil and water resources while degrading ecosystems. Where regulation and infrastructure are loose and substandard, green technologies, such as advanced recycling facilities, cleaner production processes, energy recovery systems and effective pollution abatement techniques, can help to minimize environmental damage and encourage a circular economy approach. This study builds a new theory and empirically tests an integrated framework of the Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) theory and sustainability transition theory. The study combines survey data of 153 stakeholders in the industry and semi-structured interviews with managers, policy makers, and environmental experts. The results of the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) show that environmental awareness is the strongest predictor of green technology adoption intention (β = 0.357, p < 0.001). In addition, economic feasibility (β = 0.243, p = 0.007) and institutional support (β = 0.220, p = 0.006) have a significant positive direct effect, while technological readiness has a non-significant direct effect (β = 0.053, p = 0.504). Qualitative analysis suggests that the finding is not significant due to misalignment between technologies available and operational realities, skill gaps in several sectors, and chronic infrastructure gaps. The model could account for 54.3% of the variance in the adoption intention (R² = 0.543) and had good predictive power (Q² = 0.503). This indicates that in low resource settings, particularly post-conflict, managerial awareness and institutional enablers are more important than the technical availability. The framework not only strengthens knowledge and understanding of technology adoption and sustainability transitions, but also helps to guide policy makers, industry actors, and international organizations in working toward better industrial waste management in an Afghanistan and other developing contexts.