Catalysing sustainable e-waste management: an exploratory study of urban and rural Malaysian consumer behaviour

E-waste is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. It poses harm to health, the environment, as well as to the economy. Such a threat has become one of the major concerns in Malaysia where the number of mobile users is increasingly growing. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively examine consumer behaviour related to mobile e-waste recycling among Malaysian urban and rural users, including engagement with the KITAR programme, and to formulate actionable recommendations for enhancing awareness and participation in mobile e-waste recycling initiatives. To achieve the objective, a combination of both quantitative and qualitative methodology was adopted. The quantitative phase involved analysing data obtained from 522 respondents, and the qualitative phase involved analysing six experts’ interview transcripts. An analysis of e-waste management behaviours across nine dimensions revealed a nuanced yet generally favourable disposition towards e-waste recycling among the respondents. Additionally, the respondents showed a moderate level of involvement, awareness, and operational ease in managing e-waste. This suggests that more advocacy and improvement of sustainable practices may be needed. Moreover, a moderate degree of awareness was found among the respondents, with no significant differences between urban and rural respondents. Path coefficient analysis also showed that factors like attitude, environmental concern, perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms have a significant impact on the intention of both urban and rural Malaysians to practice mobile e-waste recycling. Furthermore, the experts’ interview encapsulated eight pertinent themes relevant to the project’s objectives. Overall, this study contributes novel insights into e-waste management behaviours and attitudes among urban and rural Malaysians, shedding light on demographic disparities, factors influencing recycling intentions, and effective strategies for promoting sustainable practices, thus addressing a critical gap in understanding and informing targeted interventions for environmental conservation efforts in Malaysia. In the future, longitudinal studies should be conducted to monitor changes over time and to implement focused outreach programmes that include more rural communities.