Circular Economy Transition in Electronic Waste Management: System Dynamics and Agent-Based Modeling of Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations

Global electronic waste (e-waste) generation reached critical volumes up to 2025, creating acute environmental hazards and critical raw material supply risks. This study presents a multi-method System Dynamics (SD) and Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) framework to simulate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations within closed-loop circular economy networks. Calibrated across 48 metropolitan jurisdictions using panel data from 2016 to 2025, our multi-agent model evaluates the systemic interactions between eco-modulated producer fees, deposit-refund incentives, and hydrometallurgical urban mining infrastructure. Simulation results demonstrate that combining eco-modulated EPR fees ($25/unit) with a mandatory $15 consumer deposit refund elevates e-waste collection rates to 88.4% while reducing informal scrapping leakages by 78.5%. Economic waterfall decomposition confirms net recovery profits of $1,630 per ton of processed circuit boards. Furthermore, integrating blockchain digital product passports enhances supply chain traceability, lowering verification overheads. Sensitivity and logit regression analyses establish deposit subsidies and drop-off convenience as primary drivers of consumer take-back behavior. Policy recommendations emphasize eco-design fee modulation, retail reverse logistics hubs, and tax credits for low-carbon chemical refining.