Understanding household hesitancy: Analysis Of E-waste recycling application adoption among indian recyclers

Abstract

In the pursuit of sustainable waste management, waste reduction and reuse remain paramount, requiring proactive interventions well before products reach their end-of-life stage. However, despite the potential of digital innovations, the adoption of e-waste recycling mobile applications remains a challenge, particularly in emerging economies like India. This is a study that analyses psychological and functional enablers for adoption of e-waste recycling applications among Indian households who already engage in e-waste recycling. This research uses Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework to study how functional enablers (Ease of Use, Perceived Value, Perceived Trust & Security) and psychological enablers (Positive social influence, Cultural Fit) affect attitudes towards the behaviour, intention to recycle and the actual recycling behaviour. Data were collected through a survey of 271 respondents through PLS SEM. Results indicated that all significant predictors were Positive Social Influence, Perceived Trust & Security, Cultural Fit, and Perceived Value, and ease of use was not a significant predictor. In addition, attitude and perceived behavioral control have strong effect on recycling intention which, in turns, is positively related to actual recycling behavior. Subjective norms, however, did not significantly affect recycling intention: in this case, pressure to conform from the social environment does not appear to be a strong influence compared to personal motivation, or how easy it is to recycle. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are offered to assist in increasing e-waste recycling application adoption by improving the participatory ecosystem through community driven awareness campaigns, increased security and financial incentives designed to increase adoption. In order to address these enablers, specifically targeted interventions can be designed to promote household engagement thereby improving e-waste recycling in India.