Exploring the factors influencing consumer behaviours and practices towards sustainable WEEE management in Putrajaya, Malaysia

The disposal practises and preferences of household waste from electrical and electronic equip-ment disposal (WEEE) are essential components in material flow analysis (MFA). Nevertheless, the synergistic of consumers' behaviours and preferences with the disposal of different WEEE has yet to be investigated in depth. This study examined several consumer features of WEEE man-agement using a quantitative questionnaire survey, including consumers' disposal behaviours and preferences. As a Malaysian federal government administrative centre, and model of a contem-porary and sustainable Malaysian city, Putrajaya was chosen as the study area. Using stratified random sampling, the questionnaire was distributed through face-to-face and online surveys among households across 20 precincts within Putrajaya. From June 2021 to January 2022, 500 surveys were distributed over seven months, and IBM SPSS Statistic version 26 was used to analyse the data. The result shows that 80% of respondents have a good knowledge of WEEE management and are fully aware of the dangerous materials they have in their WEEE. 75% said they would recycle their WEEE, but only 44% said they would separate it from other household wastes. It was also shown that 88% of the household were willing to pay a collection fee of at least RM 10 for each collection. This analysis found that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms can assist in overcoming weaknesses in WEEE management by including beneficial schemes to incentivise consumers to improve current waste policies. In the meantime, govern-ments, media, and local non-governmental organisations may help by increasing awareness of effective and sustainable WEEE management.

Automated summary

This study examined the preferences and behaviors of residents in Putrajaya, Malaysia, regarding the management of electrical and electronic equipment waste (WEEE). The survey showed that 80% of respondents had good knowledge of WEEE management and 75% said they would recycle their WEEE. However, only 44% said they would separate it from other household wastes. Additionally, 88% of households were willing to pay a collection fee for WEEE. The study suggests that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanisms and awareness campaigns can improve WEEE management.