An econometric analysis of household e-waste behaviour in Malta

Abstract

E-waste has become a growing concern all over the globe as technology advances and consumers continue to replace old electric and electronic waste with new models. A recent report by the United Nations stated that by 2050, 120 million tonnes of e-waste per year will be produced globally if current trends prevail. As the literature states, e-waste causes global health and environmental problems since it contains hazardous chemicals. Therefore, policies must be implemented to manage e-waste. However, an understanding of the subject must be acquired first. The objective of this research was to gain an understanding of the demographic determinants of e-waste, the behaviour of household members and their likely behaviour towards reuse, repair, and disposal of electronic waste through the data available. An econometric analysis (Probit) was employed on secondary data collected from a representative sample of Maltese households to gain a good understanding of the behaviour of Maltese households in conjunction to electronic waste. This study finds that: low time, low income, poor knowledge, and poor social capital suppress correct disposal while positive environmental attitudes stimulate hoarding. It was concluded that the number of adults and education level both play a major role in the likelihood to dispose of e-waste correctly in Malta. Whilst age, number of people employed in a household, whether the dwelling is rented, the expectation to keep an EEE and whether the household is located in a touristic area played a minor role. In turn, these results may be used by policymakers to design incentives for better e-waste management. Policy makers need to target small households with a small time pool and with low education. There is still area for improvement and future research into the household e-waste behaviour in Malta especially into habits and moral norms.