ABSTRACT
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1. Introduction and Objectives
Sustainable consumption and e-waste disposal management are the need of the hour. According to Bagwan (2) in the past few decades, there has been a consistent rise in the generation of electronic waste due to numerous factors such as high consumption rate, frequent upgradation of technology, high purchasing power, and deteriorating quality of electronic products. E-waste disposal management is more crucial for urban consumers because when it comes to the generation of e-waste, urban areas have surpassed rural areas. Urban areas are those areas in which the population density is high along with the high consumption rate. These urban consumers generate large amounts of electronic waste, which in turn poses a serious threat to both human lives and the environment. Thus, it is important to guide the behavior of urban consumers towards effective e-waste management to preserve the environment and human well-being. Several studies (9, 10) described that the behavior is majorly dependent on factors such as awareness, education, motivation, and environmental concern.Objectives of the study:
- To identify the factors influencing urban consumers toward sustainable consumption
- To examine the role of e-waste disposal behavior as a mediator for achieving sustainable consumption ·
- To determine whether urban consumers are aware of the concept of sustainability and e-waste disposal behavior
H1: Numerous factors influence urban consumers' behavior towards sustainable consumption.
H2: E-waste disposal behavior acts as a significant mediator towards achieving sustainable consumption.
H3: Urban consumers are aware of the concept of sustainability and e-waste disposal behavior
H2: E-waste disposal behavior acts as a significant mediator towards achieving sustainable consumption.
H3: Urban consumers are aware of the concept of sustainability and e-waste disposal behavior
There is a huge gap in the existing field of research. At present studies have been done on e-waste disposal behavior and sustainable consumption but none have considered e-waste disposal behavior as a mediator towards achieving sustainable consumption to the best of the researcher's knowledge.
Nomenclature
E-waste: Electronic - waste
2. Methodology
The present study employs a methodical literature review technique. Research papers published in 2024 were identified through comprehensive searches of leading academic databases, including Scopus, Research Gate, Science Direct, and Web of Science. The two key phrases that were utilized were "e-waste disposal behavior", and "sustainable consumption." Albhirat et al. (1) highlighted the importance of the PRISMA framework to ensure the systematic review of the literature. There are four stages in the systematic literature review and they are depicted in Figure 1 below:Figure 1: PRISMA framework, outlining the systematic review process for this study. It illustrates each step, from the initial identification of research articles across multiple databases to the final selection of studies included in the analysis.
3. Results
Through an extensive review of literature such as Islam (7), it is found that urban consumers are generally aware of the concept of sustainability and e-waste disposal behavior but surprisingly, although consumers are highly aware, their behaviors often do not align with environmentally friendly practices. The review analysis also helped in identifying the factors leading to sustainable consumption. Several studies (3, 5) identified factors such as eco-literacy, attitude, subjective norms, monetary return expectations, intentions, volume accumulation, perceived behavioral control, environmental concern, education, and self-efficacy. After an extensive literature search, it is found that eco-literacy and subjective norms are the crucial factors among those identified. These factors were chosen based on frequency. These two factors were frequently identified by numerous researchers working on the factors influencing urban consumers' behavior toward sustainable consumption. The results would have been different if the study focused on behavior of urban female consumers. In that case, monetary return expectations and volume accumulation would have been the most crucial factors influencing behavior. It is also found that these factors influence sustainable consumption increases if e-waste disposal behavior is managed effectively toward a sustainable future.Objective 1: To identify the factors influencing urban consumers toward sustainable consumption.
Hypothesis 1: Numerous factors influence urban consumers' behavior toward sustainable consumption.
Thus, H1 is supported.
Objective 2: To examine the role of e-waste disposal behavior as a mediator for achieving sustainable consumption.
Hypothesis 2: E-waste disposal behavior acts as a significant mediator toward achieving sustainable consumption.
Thus, H2 is supported.
Objective 3: To determine whether urban consumers are aware of the concept of sustainability and e-waste disposal behavior.
Hypothesis 3: Urban consumers are aware of the concept of sustainability and e-waste disposal behavior.
Thus, H3 is supported.
4. Discussion
The findings of this study is in line with Jaiswal (8), policymakers, manufacturers, and environmental organizations can play an important role. For policymakers, the study underscores the need for a comprehensive e-waste management framework that not only regulates the disposal of electronic products but also promotes consumer awareness and participation in recycling programs. Roy (11) specified that governments should invest in infrastructure to make recycling more convenient for urban consumers, such as setting up more accessible collection centers in residential areas.Sakib (12) stated manufacturers also have a critical role to play in fostering sustainable consumption such as by producing superior quality products, which would last for a longer duration. Tari (13) indicated that they would be more likely to dispose of their e-waste properly if manufacturers provided take-back schemes or incentives such as discounts on new purchases. Tong (14) noted that the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) can be defined as the responsibility of the producer to ensure the safe disposal of the products manufactured by them in an environmentally friendly way.
Grandhi (6) focussed on the need for Consumers to be educated about the long-term environmental and health impacts of improper e-waste disposal.
Figure 2: Word cloud illustrating key themes in sustainable consumption and e-waste management, reflecting the critical factors influencing urban consumers.
5. Conclusion
In conclusion, this study highlights the complex factors influencing urban consumers' e-waste disposal behavior and the urgent need for strategies that promote sustainable consumption. Although awareness of e-waste issues is relatively high, significant barriers, such as convenience, lack of infrastructure, and economic considerations, continue to hinder proper disposal. To address these challenges, governments, manufacturers, and environmental organizations must work together to create systems that make recycling more accessible, financially attractive, and widely understood. By fostering a culture of sustainability, we can reduce the environmental and health impacts of e-waste and move closer to achieving a circular economy. Future research should focus on testing specific interventions tailored to different consumer groups, examining how strategies such as educational programs, social norm campaigns, and economic incentives may effectively promote sustainable behaviors across varied demographics. Understanding the unique motivations and barriers faced by each group such as based on gender (male/female) can guide the customization of these interventions to maximize the impact.6. Implications and Future Research
Awareness campaigns should emphasize the importance of recycling and highlight the benefits of sustainable consumption. Policymakers and environmental groups should consider launching targeted campaigns aimed at specific consumer segments, such as older or lower-income consumers, to address the unique barriers these groups face in adopting sustainable behaviors. Though numerous campaigns are launched each year to guide environment-friendly behavior still the goal hasn't been and the main reason behind this is the high price of environment-friendly products In the future researchers could consider making a quantitative paper, considering e-waste disposal behavior as the mediator.7. References
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Article history: | Keywords: |
Received 22 OCTOBER 24 Accepted 05 NOVEMBER 24 Published 30 DECEMBER 24 | E-waste Sustainable consumption E-waste management Urban consumer behavior Environmental awareness Circular economy |