Determinants of Individuals’ E-Waste Recycling Decision: A Case Study from Romania

A review on e-waste contamination, toxicity, and sustainable clean-up approaches for its management

Ecosystems and human health are being negatively impacted by the growing problem of electrical waste, especially in developing countries. E-waste poses a significant risk to ecological systems because it can release a variety of hazardous substances into the environment, containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers and heavy metals, brominated flame retardants, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and dioxins. This review article provides a critical assessment of the toxicological consequences of e-waste on ecosystems and human health and data analyses from scientific journals and grey literature on metals, BFRs, PBDEs, PCDFs, and PAHs in several environmental compartments of commercial significance in informal electronic trash recycling. The currently available techniques and tools employed for treating e-waste are sustainable techniques such as bioremediation, chemical leaching, biological leaching, and pyrometallurgy have been also discussed along with the necessity of implementing strong legislation to address the issue of unregulated exports of electronic trash in recycling practices. Despite the ongoing hurdles, implementing environmentally sustainable recycling methods have the potential to address the detrimental impacts of e-waste and foster positive economic development.

An empirical investigation to understand mobile phone users' behavioural intention to give their end-of-life mobile phones for formal recycling

Mobile phones have turned into a highly essential device for numerous individuals. Swift innovation and decrease in in-use lifespan have increased the generation of end-of-life mobile phones (EOL-MPs). Lesser formal recycling of EOL-MPs has detrimental outcomes on the environment, human health, and circular economy. Therefore, this research was undertaken to investigate factors impacting mobile phone users' behavioural intention to give their EOL-MPs for formal recycling. The conceptual model was developed by integrating the theory of planned behaviour, norm activation model, and value-belief-norm theory. Responses were collected from mobile phone users aged 18 and above residing in Bengaluru, Mangaluru, and Huballi-Dharvad cities of Karnataka state, India. 1135 responses were analysed by applying partial least squares structural equation modelling. Incentives was figured out to be the most positively impacting construct on behavioural intention. Followed by awareness of consequences, social media, past recycling experience, and recycling attitude. Whereas risk perception regarding information security and convenience of recycling negatively impacts behavioural intention. Personal norms get activated by awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility. As a result, personal norms positively impact behavioural intention. In addition, biospheric values also positively impact personal norms. The outcomes of PLSpredict signify that the conceptual model has high out-of-sample predictive power. The outcomes of this research can be utilized by various stakeholders like e-waste collection organisations, e-waste recycling organisations, mobile phone manufacturing companies, city corporations, educational institutions, etc for improving sustainable end-of-life management of EOL-MPs.

Exploring factors of e-waste recycling intention: The case of generation Y

The seriousness of the e-waste crisis stems from the fact that consumers do not participate much in ensuring the proper disposal of electronic materials. In this context, millennials are the largest segment of consumers of electronic products who are not yet motivated to get sustainably rid of them. However, to inspire consumers to recycle e-waste, it is necessary to investigate consumers' behavioral intentions towards e-waste thoroughly. This study integrates the theory of planned behavior, social influence theory, and personality traits to examine how consumers gauge their choice to recycle e-waste. Data were collected from randomly surveying 300 Lithuanians through a structured questionnaire. Using the PLS-SEM approach, results show that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly influence consumers' e-waste recycling intention. Regarding personality traits, only openness to experience significantly affects consumers' e-waste recycling intention. In contrast, other traits such as agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and neuroticism have a non-significant influence on consumers' e-waste recycling intention. In addition, normative and informational social influence affects consumers' e-waste recycling intention. The current study advances our understanding of e-waste recycling behavior by examining how TPB, personality factors, and social influence theory influence intentions. It provides valuable insights for policymakers and marketers on understanding and encouraging the e-waste behavior of Lithuanian Y-generation consumers.

Towards a sustainable and green approach of electrical and electronic waste management in Rwanda: a critical review

Electric and electronic equipment (EEE) consumption has grown to worrisome proportions in developing countries (DC_S), resulting in massive amounts of electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) being produced. A diagnosis of e-waste proliferation is required for its sustainable management plan in Rwanda. This review is based on open-access papers with e-waste as a keyword, the present situation of EEE, and e-waste in Rwanda. The need for various information communication and technology (ICT) tools, such as end-user devices, cooling-system devices, network equipment, and telecommunication devices, is strongly encouraged by Rwandan national plans, which deem ICT as a vital enabler of knowledge-based economy and development. In 2014, EEE was 33,449 tonnes (t), which is expected to be 267,741 t in 2050, with a yearly increase rate of 5.95%. In this regard, out-of-date EEE is being dumped as e-waste in large quantities and at an increasing rate across Rwanda. E-waste is often disposed of in uncontrolled landfills together with other types of household waste. To address this rising threat, as well as to preserve the environment and human health, proper e-waste management involving e-waste sorting/separation from other waste streams, repairs, reuse, recycling, remanufacturing, and disposal has been proposed.

Exploring the factors influencing consumer behaviours and practices towards sustainable WEEE management in Putrajaya, Malaysia

The disposal practises and preferences of household waste from electrical and electronic equipment disposal (WEEE) are essential components in material flow analysis (MFA). Nevertheless, the synergistic of consumers' behaviours and preferences with the disposal of different WEEE has yet to be investigated in depth. This study examined several consumer features of WEEE management using a quantitative questionnaire survey, including consumers' disposal behaviours and preferences. As a Malaysian federal government administrative centre, and model of a contemporary and sustainable Malaysian city, Putrajaya was chosen as the study area. Using stratified random sampling, the questionnaire was distributed through face-to-face and online surveys among households across 20 precincts within Putrajaya. From June 2021 to January 2022, 500 surveys were distributed over seven months, and IBM SPSS Statistic version 26 was used to analyse the data. The result shows that 80% of respondents have a good knowledge of WEEE management and are fully aware of the dangerous materials they have in their WEEE. 75% said they would recycle their WEEE, but only 44% said they would separate it from other household wastes. It was also shown that 88% of the household were willing to pay a collection fee of at least RM 10 for each collection. This analysis found that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms can assist in overcoming weaknesses in WEEE management by including beneficial schemes to incentivise consumers to improve current waste policies. In the meantime, governments, media, and local non-governmental organisations may help by increasing awareness of effective and sustainable WEEE management.

University students' awareness of e-waste and its disposal practices in Pakistan: a construction of the conceptual framework

Pakistan is among the few countries generating and receiving enormous e-waste, which posits a threat to its future generations. A systematic literature review also suggests exploring e-waste awareness in Asia to understand awareness and behavior. Therefore, the present study explored university students' awareness of e-waste and the factors hindering the disposal of laptops, personal computers, and cellphones and suggested a conceptual framework. The study used the qualitative research approach and non-probability sampling. We collected data through four focus group discussions (FGDs) with students at a Pakistani university. After data saturation, we developed themes from FGDs and found computer sciences and engineering students with better awareness than others. The factors hindering e-waste disposal were lower monetary benefits for disposal, breach of sensitive information, nostalgic association with devices, and non-availability of disposal facilities. Other variables like lower resale value and high family sharing increased the storage of e-devices and reduced e-waste disposal. The research is among a few initial attempts to explore e-waste awareness and factors hindering disposal behavior in e-waste-receiving countries (e.g., Pakistan) and provides evidence from students who are the primary users. Our findings are crucial for policymakers to take corrective actions, introduce monetary benefits, and secure disposal to reduce e-waste.

How Fast to Avoid Carbon Emissions: A Holistic View on the RES, Storage and Non-RES Replacement in Romania

The European Union targets aim to replace the non-renewable energy sources (non-RES) of coal, oil and gas (COG) generation with RES and storage (RES-S). The replacement of COG-generating units will lead to a decrease in CO₂ emissions and a better living environment. Starting from this desideratum, in this paper, we create several scenarios to replace COG in Romania with RES-S, reconsider future energy mixes and engage with a more creative planning in order to meet the clean energy transition path. The energy shortages, especially in European countries after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, led many governments (including the Romanian, Polish, etc.) to think more about short-term supply issues and less about medium- and long-term power system planning. However, the decision makers of the European power systems have to decide how fast to avoid firing coal, how fast to adopt RES and how fast to invest in flexibility sources, including storage stations to enable a higher integration of RES. Therefore, in this paper, a holistic view to envision the RES and non-RES contribution to the load coverage in Romania for a smooth transition to a low-carbon economy is provided. The results show that an initial mix of wind, photovoltaic (PV) and storage systems is preferable to substitute 600 MW of installed power in coal-based power plants. Furthermore, the case of Poland-the European country with over 70% coal in its generation portfolio-is also presented as it can serve as a good example.

Disposal of obsolete mobile phones: A review on replacement, disposal methods, in-use lifespan, reuse and recycling

Usage/consumption of mobile phones has increased rapidly around the world. As of April 2021, there were 5.27 billion mobile phone users. Meanwhile, the generation of obsolete mobile phones/mobile phone wastes is also increased mainly due to the replacement of mobile phones. The in-use lifespan of mobile phones is correspondingly getting decreased. The inappropriate disposal of obsolete mobile phones leads to adverse consequences on the environment, human health and on metal recovery. This review article provides an insight on findings from various articles on disposal of obsolete mobile phones by users/consumers. The various aspects, such as reasons for replacement, disposal methods adopted by users/consumers, impact due to the adoption of improper disposal methods such as handing them over to the informal recycling sector and storage/hibernation after its in-use lifespan, were covered. Along with this, the study even focuses on reduce, reuse and recycle (3Rs) of sustainability. Reduce means reduction of mobile phone replacement frequency. Storage of mobile phones post-in-use lifespan is the most opted disposal method, and it is one of the significant barriers to reuse, recycling and metal recovery. When it comes to recycling, the research undertaken on the recycling of obsolete mobile phones is not as in-depth when compared to the research done on recycling of e-waste in general. This article identifies future directions for sustainable end-of-life management of obsolete mobile phones.

Sustainable Supply Chain Management: A Comprehensive Systematic Review of Industrial Practices

Sustainable business practices are those that allow companies to increase their profit while still considering the triple bottom line of sustainability, which involves economic, environmental, and social aspects. There are a lot of studies exploring various aspects of supply chain practices. However, there remains a gap for the proposal of a complete framework concerning various industries. This research fills this gap by studying existing empirical and review studies. Based on a content analysis of 86 studies, 789 practices are derived and categorized, leading to a comprehensive classification of sustainable practices in supply chains. Moreover, the employed methods to analyze the data are investigated. The practices are cross-checked versus the studied industries showing the current sustainable industries. The details of the studied papers are presented in a comprehensive table. The sustainable framework showing the industrial solutions toward sustainable supply chains is divided into 38 minor practices classified into 11 main categories. This paper provides a novel interpretation of the sustainable solutions addressed by different industries and presents a new and updated classification of the literature identifying future directions. This offers many advantages for practitioners and researchers to transform a supply chain into an improved version in the bigger picture.

Consumer awareness and perceptions about e-waste management in semi-urban area of northern Tamil Nadu: A mixed-method approach

BACKGROUND:

The increased use of electronic devices has caused a rise in the generation of e-waste, which is detrimental to the environment and human health. This study aimed to assess consumer awareness, perception, and disposal methods of e-waste management and its determinants in a semi-urban area of northern Tamil Nadu.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

It was a mixed-method approach using a sequential explanatory technique with both quantitative and qualitative methods in adult e-consumers. Quantitative data were collected from 350 participants selected via simple random sampling using score-based semi-structured questionnaire. Qualitative data were obtained purposely from eight selected consumers such as recyclers, local leaders, and importers of electronics using key informant interviews. Sociodemographic details and disposal practices were summarized as frequencies and percentages. The independent t-test and linear regression analysis were used to obtain the determinants. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically.

RESULTS:

Of the 350 participants (208 males and 142 females), the majority (76%), had good knowledge of e-waste management. Consumers (70%) predominantly had a positive perception. Selling e-wastes to scrap dealers (35%) and disposing of household wastes (21%) were common disposal methods. Male gender, higher education (≥10^th grade), and skilled and professional workers were significant determining factors of good knowledge and positive perception toward e-waste management.

CONCLUSION:

There is a need for those in authority to pay special attention to sensitizing the public to the disposal of e-waste practices, ill effects of e-wastes, segregation at collection sites, legislations and laws on e-waste to consumers, and the establishment of disposal sites.

Consumer behaviour towards storage, disposal and recycling of e-waste: systematic review and future research prospects

Purpose

With the rapid increase in the consumption of electrical and electronic innovations, responsible management and recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been a significant concern for the governments, stakeholders, researchers and industry practitioners around the world. Consumer awareness, disposal behaviour and perception are chief facets of designing sustainable management strategies. Although researchers have widely studied e-waste over many years, the research focusing on consumer awareness about e-waste recycling has gained momentum recently. This paper aims to systematise the existing literature and explore future research prospects on household e-waste sorting behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

Web of science (WoS) core collection was searched using selected keywords to identify relevant articles published from 2001 to 2021. The search resulted in 1,156 research articles published from 2001 to 2021. After a detailed study, 85 articles were shortlisted for in-depth review. The review was conducted based on global trends, top journals, most prolific authors, most active e-waste research countries, and institutions centring on consumer participation in e-waste disposal and recycling behaviour. The present research has also identified around eleven factors that seem to have a bearing on consumer behaviour towards storage, disposal and recycling of e-waste.

Findings

E-waste research has gained increased attention in the last five years. The majority of the studies has focused on motivational factors and ignore the risks associated with handling e-waste. The present study reports the pertinent issue of lack of awareness among the masses about e-waste handling and disposal. Thus, bringing to the fore the lack of awareness programmes and initiatives. The analysis presents the gaps in the literature and future research agendas.

Originality/value

The review article will help in providing an in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour towards storage, disposal and recycling of e-waste and delineates the future direction of research that may be undertaken in this field of study.

Factors That Influence the Safe Disposal Behavior of E-Waste by Electronics Consumers

This study investigated the factors that influence the safe disposal intention and behavior of consumers, considering the mobile phone as an example. Specific hypotheses linking the factors that influence safe disposal intention and behavior with the support of extant literature on theories of reasoned action and planned behavior were developed. A questionnaire was designed based on the following factors: awareness, convenience, subjective norms, producer interventions, and regulations that influence the intentions and behavior of consumers in the safe disposal of e-waste. The data was collected by conducting a cross-sectional survey in India. The collected data was analyzed for descriptive statistics and measurement properties and further tested the hypotheses using partial least squares-structural equations modeling (PLS-SEM). All the measures used in the study were found to have satisfactory reliability and validity testing. The findings of hypotheses testing suggest that the factors such as awareness (Std. coefficient = 0.109 with p value < 0.05 level), convenience (Std. coefficient = 0.341 with p value < 0.01 level), subjective norms (Std. coefficient = 0.242 with p value < 0.01 level), producer interventions (Std. coefficient = 0.228 with p value < 0.01 level), and regulations (Std. coefficient = 0.148 with p value < 0.01 level) were found to significantly impact safe disposal intentions. However, the direct effect of regulation on safe disposal behavior was found to be non-significant (Std. coefficient = 0.091). Therefore, the significant finding of our study is that without the intention of behaving in a certain manner, the direct regulations may not influence the consumers to behave as intended. Our study’s results emphasize two areas that may trigger the consumer’s intentions for safe disposal of e-waste. First, the social norms, and second, the importance of producer responsibility in creating the required reverse logistics infrastructure and clear communication to customers for the safe disposal of e-waste.

E-Device Purchase and Disposal Behaviours in the UAE: An Exploratory Study

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the high-income countries in the Middle Eastern region and is vying for sustainable development in every sector. One of the UAE sustainable development goals is to ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; hence, the emphasis is on circular economy. UAE is one of largest consumers of e-devices, and their proper disposal is of paramount importance. E-waste disposal awareness leads to better disposal behaviors. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to understand the e-device purchase and disposal behaviour among university communities in the UAE. A survey was conducted among the students and staff members of a federally funded university in the UAE, namely Zayed University, and quantitative methodology was adopted to analyze the collected data. The study found that 47.95% of respondents purchased mobile phones, and 65% of the respondents purchased 1–3 electronic devices every year. Through chi-square test, gender of the respondents was found to be related with e-device ownership. Through the analysis of variance (ANOVA), age and field of specialization were found to affect the knowledge about e-waste. Older and the respondents with science specialization were more aware about e-waste. Most of the respondents disposed e-devices, such as batteries, earphones/headphones, and electronic toys, along with the household trash. A very small percentage of respondents disposed e-devices such as laptops, phones, and tablets with the household trash. Mostly, these were either repaired, donated, or sold to second-hand users. Many respondents were neither aware of the government initiatives on e-waste collection nor participated in government-sponsored e-waste recycling. The study further identified that 67% of the respondents were aware of the toxicity of e-waste, and 61% of the respondents were keen to join e-waste recycling drives at university. The findings of the study imply that the policy makers need to incentivize e-waste-disposal systems and develop targeted awareness approaches to enhance e-waste disposal in the UAE.

Antecedents of sustainable e-waste disposal behavior: the moderating role of gender

This study presents an integrative sustainable e-waste model, drawing on organismic integration theory and gender schema theory. E-waste behavior has attracted considerable attention in the cleaner production literature in recent years. However, there is growing debate, and little research has been conducted in developing countries, especially Pakistan, to investigate the motivational factors influencing sustainable e-waste behavior. This study empirically examines the different effects of motivational (intrinsic, identified, introjected, and external) regulations on sustainable e-waste disposal behavior and identifies whether customer gender moderates these effects. To address this gap, we recruited 209 households, and structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group modeling (MGM) techniques were used to test the proposed hypotheses using AMOS. When assessing customers' habits and external, introjected, identified, and intrinsic motivations in terms of gender differences, the SEM results revealed that female has more motivational sentiments and compliance to social norms for disposing e-waste behavior. The MGM results revealed that the effect of intrinsic motivation on sustainable e-waste disposal behavior is important for male customers, while the impact of external motivation is important for female customers. Identified motivation appears to be a significant predictor both for male and female customers. Finally, we briefly discuss the study's implications for theory and practice and highlight priorities for future research.

E-Waste and End-of-Life Vehicles Management and Circular Economy Initiatives in Romania

E-waste and end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are fast-growing waste streams in the EU and beyond that require specific collection and treatment activities to avoid environmental pollution and resource depletion fed by the linear economy model. This paper aims to investigate the links between e-waste and ELVs streams and the circular economy approach of the EU. Romania is examined as a relevant case study for the central and eastern European Region regarding: (i) the current e-waste and ELVs management deficiencies and challenges in line with circular economy principles promoted by EU; (ii) analysis of E-waste and ELVs flows data; and (iii) best circular economy initiatives related to e-waste and ELVs in Romania, including the opportunity to create new jobs in treatment activities that the simple operations from the first stages of e-waste recycling can produce locally and regionally in Romania. This work points out the current knowledge gaps and future research directions for these special waste streams in Romania and beyond.

Dynamic modelling of Australian rooftop solar photovoltaic product stewardship transition

As rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption in Australia is exponentially growing in the past decade, there is a need to promote effective product stewardship for PV panels reaching their end-of-life (EoL). This paper presents the development of a System Dynamics (SD) model for managing EoL rooftop PV panels based on the circular economy concept. Four stages of the SD modelling process include problem scoping and variable identification, model conceptualisation, SD model development, and scenario analysis. Stakeholder engagement is central to this research as the system under study is underpinned by high uncertainties and limited data availability. Four socio-technical transition pathways examined in this study include market-driven growth, conservative development, shared responsibility, and disruptive change. The simulation results indicated an improvement of collection and recovery performance when a stringent product stewardship scheme is enabled and improvement of installers' participation in the collection program. This study argued that a system of shared responsibility will be capable of balancing techno-economic motivations of stakeholders across the supply chain to participate in the recovery scheme, while being less disruptive to PV adoption. Under this scenario, a gradual change in regulatory requirements (e.g. recovery target and material recovery rate requirements) is introduced to allow a period of industry and market development.

Consumer’s Circular Behaviors in Relation to the Purchase, Extension of Life, and End of Life Management of Electrical and Electronic Products: A Review

Nowadays, management of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and the related waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a growing concern around the world and clearly an open issue to tackle in order to move towards a more circular economy. The goal of this review paper is to analyze and summarize research conducted exploring behaviors connected with purchases, extension of useful life, and management of end of life of electrical and electronic equipment. The results highlight several research exploring the determinants of WEEE recycling behavior, also in relation with different practices (e.g., online recycling); on the other hand other typologies of behaviors are less analyzed in the literature (e.g., purchase of used EEE products, donation of EEE products, participation in WEEE takeback activities established by firm operating in this sector, etc.). Moreover, the results suggest that the theoretical model adopted in many studies reveals its usefulness to predict the determinist of such circular consumer’s behavior in relation to the purchase, extension of life, and end of life management of electrical and electronic products; however, in many cases, additional variables are needed to fully explain the behavior.

Consumers’ Behavior in Selective Waste Collection: A Case Study Regarding the Determinants from Romania

The increase in consumerism due to population growth, excessive advertising and the constant encouragement of buying behavior by advertising media and opinion formers comes with side effects for the environment and public health if it is not properly supported by a sustainable selective waste collection process. In this context, the paper aims at determining the impact of different elements on people’s intention to participate in selective waste collection and on their behavior related to the collection process. Based on the literature, a series of variables were considered and a questionnaire was created in order to extract people’s opinions related to the selective waste collection process. As discrepancies in findings might appear due to culture in various countries, the analysis has been conducted with reference to Romania’s case. The waste collection situation in Romania is similar in some ways to other countries in the world, with some differences related to a small recycling rate compared to other countries in the European Union. In this context, it is important to identify the determinants of the consumers’ behavior in selective waste collection and to act based on these findings. Creating better policies that can support the selective waste collection process will have results in increasing the waste collection rate, offering a clear and safer environment to all the citizens.

A Sustainable Revolution: Let’s Go Sustainable to Get Our Globe Cleaner

The concept of sustainability is a clear blue sea, a snowy mountain, a flowery meadow, in which there is resource sharing that allows us to satisfy human needs without damaging natural resources. The challenge is complex, and we hope to support the decarbonization of our society and mitigate climate changes. This Special Issue aims to outline different approaches in several sectors with a common point of view: seeing our world with a green perception and encouraging a sustainable revolution to provide a cleaner world.