E-waste disposal awareness among the Malaysian community

Abstract

E-waste is any refuse created by discarded electronic devices and components as well as substances involved in their manufacture or use. Minimising the production of e-waste helps preserve resources and reducing the amount of energy drawn from the earth. One of the strategies to address this problem is raising e-waste disposal awareness in a sustainable manner among the community. This article aims to identify the level of e-waste disposal awareness among the Malaysia community. This study involved 500 people from nine districts in Selangor, Malaysia by using stratified random sampling method. A questionnaire instrument was used to obtain feedback. The three variables of e-waste disposal awareness studied were e-waste disposal knowledge, e-waste disposal attitudes and e-waste disposal practices. Each variable was divided into three sub-variables; environmental, social and economic. The results showed that the respondents’ e-waste disposal knowledge and e-waste disposal attitudes were at a high level, while their e-waste disposal practice were at a medium level. The findings and issues studied can be used as a reference for the government, non-governmental organisations, the authorities and the community when seeking to develop a more sustainable community life.