An Analysis on Consumer Awareness, Attitudes and Behaviour Towards Electronic Waste: a Case Study of Visakhapatnam: Addressing the Growing Hazard of E-waste through Consumer Awareness and Sustainable Practices

Abstract

The electronics industryis one of fastest growing manufacturing industries in India. However, theincrease in the sales of electronic goods and their rapid obsolescence hasresulted in the large-scale generation of electronic waste, popularly known ase-waste. E-waste has become a matter of concern due to the presence of toxicand hazardous substances present in electronic goods which, if not properlymanaged, can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. InIndia, the e-waste market remains largely unorganized, with companies beingneither registered nor authorized and typically operating on an informal basis.In many instances, e-waste is treated as municipal waste, because India doesnot have dedicated legislation for the management of e-waste. It is thereforenecessary to review the public health risks and strategies in a bid toaddressthis growing hazard. There is the strong need for adoptingsustainability practices in order to tackle the growing threat of e-waste. Inthe present work, we attempt to identify the various sources and reasons for e-wastegeneration, in addition to understanding the perception of the public towardse-waste management. This study aims to induce an awareness of sustainabilitypractices and sustainability issues in the management of E-waste, especiallywaste related to personal computers (PCs) and mobile phones. From the resultsof the study, we concluded that the majority (90%) of the public is ignorantabout e-waste and its issues; hence, there is a strong requirement forspreading awareness about the growing hazard of E-waste. Humans are fast pacedcreatures always wanting and needing what they desire as quickly andefficiently as possible. This attitude that our society possesses has createdthe desire for the human race to always have the latest technologies irrespectiveof its consequences on the environment. Over the past two decades, the globalmarket of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) continues to growexponentially, while the lifespan of those products becomes shorter andshorter. Therefore, business and waste management officials are facing a newchallenge, and e-Waste or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) isreceiving considerable amount of attention from policy makers.