Consumer attitudes and perceptions on electronic waste: An assessment

The electronics industry is one of fastest growing manufacturing industries in India. However, the increase in the sales of electronic goods and their rapid obsolescence has resulted in the largescale generation of electronic waste, popularly known as ewaste. Ewaste has become a matter of concern due to the presence of toxic and hazardous substances present in electronic goods which, if not properly managed, can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. In India, the ewaste market remains largely unorganized, with companies being neither registered nor authorized and typically operating on an informal basis. In many instances, ewaste is treated as municipal waste, because India does not have dedicated legislation for the management of ewaste. It is therefore necessary to review the public health risks and strategies in a bid to addressthis growing hazard. There is the strong need for adopting sustainability practices in order to tackle the growing threat of ewaste. In the present work, we attempt to identify the various sources and reasons for ewaste generation, in addition to understanding the perception of the public towards ewaste management. This study aims to induce an awareness of sustainability practices and sustainability issues in the management of Ewaste, especially waste related to personal computers (PCs) and mobile phones. From the results of the study, we concluded that the majority (90%) of the public is ignorant about ewaste and its issues; hence, there is a strong requirement for spreading awareness about the growing hazard of Ewaste.