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Emerging trends in consumers’ E-waste disposal behaviour and awareness: A worldwide overview with special focus on India

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  • Borthakur, Anwesha
  • Govind, Madhav

Abstract

E-waste is a complex stream of toxic waste which requires specific handling considerations. Effective and responsible management of E-waste is a global concern today. Considering the depth of the E-waste problem, this paper is an attempt to review two key elements greatly accountable for influencing sustainable E-waste management initiatives: Consumers’ E-waste 1) ‘Disposal Behaviour’ and 2) ‘Awareness’. Taking into account the locale specific characteristics of consumers’ E-waste disposal behaviour and awareness, we have attempted to perform an extensive review on the global context and identify the measures adopted by the consumers of different countries to dispose off their E-waste. We observe significant differences in consumers’ E-waste disposal behaviour not only ‘between’ the developed and developing countries, but also ‘within’ these countries. The paper further especially explains the complexities in India’s E-waste management system due to its multifaceted socio-economic, cultural and other associated connotations influencing consumers’ disposal behaviour and awareness. We conclude that global experiences on consumers’ E-waste disposal behaviour and awareness could be helpful for a particular country to devise inclusive E-waste management strategies to adequately address their current E-waste crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Borthakur, Anwesha & Govind, Madhav, 2017. "Emerging trends in consumers’ E-waste disposal behaviour and awareness: A worldwide overview with special focus on India," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 117(PB), pages 102-113.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:117:y:2017:i:pb:p:102-113
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.11.011
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    2. Kant, Vivek & Tapia, Ridhima & Mondal, Saikat, 2022. "Sustainability of mobile IT sector in industrially developing countries by supporting repairability," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(6).
    3. Jenni Ylä-Mella & Riitta L. Keiski & Eva Pongrácz, 2022. "End-of-Use vs. End-of-Life: When Do Consumer Electronics Become Waste?," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Merve Sahan & Mehmet Ali Kucuker & Burak Demirel & Kerstin Kuchta & Andrew Hursthouse, 2019. "Determination of Metal Content of Waste Mobile Phones and Estimation of Their Recovery Potential in Turkey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-14, March.

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