Fostering Sustainability: Enhancing Electronic Waste Management Awareness in Penang

Abstract

Electrical and electronic waste (E-waste) refers to devices that are damaged or no longer needed by their current owner and will be discarded. Several factors, such as increasing populations, economic development, and the shorter lifespan of electrical appliances, drive the global volume. The growing problem of electronic waste (E-waste) is a well-known global issue. This study aims to identify the factors that influence awareness of E-waste management among the Penang community in Malaysia, with a specific focus on sustainability. The primary objective is to investigate the Penang community’s understanding and attitudes towards E-waste management for a sustainable future. Six independent variables were examined: awareness, knowledge, attitude, government influence, moral obligation, and subjective norm. A survey questionnaire was distributed to 384 respondents in Penang. The collected data analysed using descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software.  The findings revealed that attitude, government influence, moral obligation, and subjective norms significantly predict the Penang community’s E-waste management awareness towards sustainability. Surprisingly, awareness and knowledge, as components of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), did not significantly impact sustainability-focused E-waste management awareness. In conclusion, E-waste recycling initiatives should prioritise enhancing knowledge and creating specific cues to encourage habitual recycling behaviour. This study also highlights practical and social implications for improving E-waste recycling policies.