Households intention to formally dispose e-waste using theory planned behavior

Abstract

Electronic waste or e-waste is a global issue that continues to escalate. The e-waste contains hazardous materials, which could lead to health issues and pollution if improperly disposed. The most common e-waste sources are household appliances namely refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, radios, televisions, and telecommunications devices containing electric or electronic parts. Each e-waste item also encompasses valuable materials that will profit the business, which in turn can benefit the growth of the economy besides the preservation of resources. This study refers to the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a heuristic guideline to investigate the intention to formally dispose of e-waste among residents at Taman Bahau, Negeri Sembilan. As this study applied a quantitative approach, a questionnaire was utilized as the primary data collection tool, and three hundred seventy-five (375) respondents were selected using a convenience sampling technique to partake in the survey. The demographic characteristics and profiling of the respondents were analyzed using descriptive analysis. In contrast, regression analysis was employed to examine the contribution of variables towards the intention to dispose of e-waste formally. The finding shows the attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral controls constructed towards the intention to dispose of e-waste formally. The result also implies that perceived behavioural control explains the most variance in the respondents' intention to dispose of their e-waste items formally, compared to other variables. This research holds significance as it can enhance community awareness and encourage relevant stakeholders to find solutions to protect the environment from the detrimental consequences of improperly discarded electronic waste