Managing Electronic Waste: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Behaviour of Young Indian Consumers

Abstract

The exponential increase in the usage of electronic devices by young consumers in India has added to the menace of e-waste. With legislation and some remarkable initiatives already in place, the pro-environmental behaviour of the young generation is efficacious. The present qualitative study investigates the factors that affect e-waste recycling behaviour. A thematic analysis of the interview transcripts, based on virtual interactions with the young students, supports the role of knowledge acquired through social and print media and educational institutions, concern for the environment and responsibility assumed by different stakeholders on recycling behaviour. The dual dimensions, internal and external, explain the perceived behavioural control, and subjective norms also affect the intention. Awareness is revealed to be playing a pertinent role. The recycling behaviour is manifested in four forms, namely giving away in charity, reselling, reusing and discarding. An interesting outcome of the study is the function of the hidden values that an individual puts on the e-waste, impacting the disposal behaviour. The values can be categorized into three segments, namely economic value, emotional value and future value. The study offers logical implications for electronic device manufacturers, marketers, government and other stakeholders while making a significant contribution to the extant literature in the form of a comprehensive conceptual model explaining the e-waste recycling behaviour of the Indian youth.