Work

Household Willingness to Recycle Electronic Waste

Year: 2006

Type: article

Abstract: Electronic waste (e-waste) has become the main contributor of lead to landfills in the United States. Households also store large volumes of e-waste, yet little is known about their willingness to recycle e-waste. This article starts filling this gap based on a 2004 mail survey of California households. Using multivariate models, the authors find that gender, education, convenience, and environmental beliefs but not income or political affiliation are key factors explaining the willingness to drop off e-waste at recycling centers. A comparison of an ordered probit with a semi-nonparametric extended ordered probit model of the survey responses shows that the latter better predicts less frequent answers. The results suggest targeting public education programs about recycling at teenagers or younger adults and making recycling more convenient for older adults; moreover, e-waste drop-off centers should first be created in communities that already offer curbside collection programs for conventional recyclable products.

Source: Environment and Behavior

DOI: 10.1177/0013916505279045

Authors: Jean-Daniel M. Saphores, Hilary Nixon, Oladele A. Ogunseitan, Andrew A. Shapiro

Institutions: University of California, Irvine, California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Recycling and Waste Management Techniques

Subfield: Waste Management and Disposal

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Science Foundation