See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/378351623

Residents’ Attitudes, Behaviour, and Willingness to Recycle E-waste in Brunei

Darussalam

Article in IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science · February 2024
DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

CITATIONS READS

0 114

4 authors, including:

Rusydina Idris Shahriar Shams

Universiti Teknologi Brunei Universiti Teknologi Brunei
2 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS 122 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE

Kabiru Maitama Kura

Bahrain Polytechnic
71 PUBLICATIONS 0 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Kabiru Maitama Kura on 22 February 2024.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

IOP Conference Series: Earth and
Environmental Science

PAPER • OPEN ACCESS

Residents’ Attitudes, Behaviour, and Willingness to Recycle E-waste in

Brunei Darussalam
To cite this article: Rusydina Idris et al 2024 IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 1303 012038

View the article online for updates and enhancements.

This content was downloaded from IP address 185.49.163.241 on 22/02/2024 at 04:29

6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

Residents' Attitudes, Behaviour, and Willingness to Recycle E-

waste in Brunei Darussalam

Rusydina Idris1,*, Shahriar Shams1, Kabiru Maitama Kura2, Ismawi

Yusof1
1
Civil Engineering Programme Area, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi
Brunei, Tungku Highway, Gadong, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
2
School of Business, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Tungku Highway, Gadong, BE1410,
Brunei Darussalam

*Corresponding Author: P20200001@student.utb.edu.bn

Abstract. Today, the electronics industry is the largest and fastest-growing manufacturing sector
in the world. The rapid expansion of this industry coupled with the brief product lifespan
generates an enormous amount of e-waste. Increasing amounts of waste from the electronics
industry pose a significant problem for many lower-middle income nations today. For proper
disposal and routing of e-waste, consumer cognizance plays a crucial role in directing e-waste to
its authorised collection centres and authorised recyclers. Financial constraints, inadequate
storage facilities and information on e-waste, lack of awareness on the impacts of e-waste, the
absence of rules and regulations, and the lack of an appropriate description of roles and
responsibilities pertaining to e-waste management, among other factors, may be impeding e-
waste management. In this research, a primary survey is conducted to determine consumers'
awareness and preferences regarding the disposal of electronic waste. The survey was conducted
in Brunei Darussalam with 351 consumers using a structured questionnaire. This survey
questionnaire's demographic profile includes gender, age group, employment status, household
size, and income range. Knowledge of e-waste, awareness of e-waste, willingness to recycle, and
consumer preference regarding the appropriate disposal and management of e-waste were
identified using exploratory factor analysis. The study reveals that 57.3% of respondents
comprehend the definition of e-waste, with 89.9% of respondents using a mobile phone daily
and 86.6% using a computer daily. 58.1% of respondents do not know what to do with their e-
waste, so the majority retain it at home. The primary concern regarding e-waste disposal is a lack
of knowledge about recycling facilities. Approximately 66% of respondents are willing to pay
between BND $ 1 -10 for the disposal or recycling of e-waste, and 38% are willing to travel
between 1 and 5 kilometers for disposal or recycling. 76% of respondents concurred that the
government should subsidise e-waste disposal. By comprehending attitudes, behaviour, and
willingness to recycle e-waste, a comprehensive e-waste management policy can be formulated.

1. Introduction
The rapid expansion of electronics industry coupled with the brief product lifespan generates an
enormous amount of e-waste. E-waste is the world’s fastest growing domestic waste stream. Increasing
amounts of waste from the electronics industry pose a significant problem for many low and low-middle
income countries today. E-waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is

Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence. Any further distribution
of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd 1
6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

becoming a major threat to the world as its toxic emissions mix with virgin soil and air and cause harmful
effects to the entire biota, both directly and indirectly [1] for example, electronic toys and LED lamps
that are landfilled produces harmful leachates and pollutes groundwater [2]. It is estimated that 52.2
million tonnes of e-waste were produced globally in 2021[3,4], and 70-80% of e-waste has been
exported to low-middle countries in Asia and Africa for recycling and disposal [5]. Without proper e-
waste management, the components that make up this e-waste can be toxic and pose a risk. E-waste is a
complex form of waste as it consists of materials that are hazardous and toxic, including lead, mercury,
and flame retardant. This requires a proper handling system to prevent contamination towards the
environment and public health, particularly the workers handling e-waste.
The purpose of e-waste recycling is to efficiently recover valuable metals, dispose of noxious and
hazardous substances without endangering human health or the environment, and create sustainable
businesses [6]. In most low-middle income nations, recycling and the separation of e-waste materials
have become their primary source of income, and it is typically done without regard for human or
environmental safety [6]. Consumers frequently engage in illicit and open dumping of nonfunctional
components and e-waste residues, despite the numerous environmental and societal benefits of e-waste
recycling [7]. Lack of awareness, the convenience of the action, monetary incentives, lax laws and
regulations, and the absence of recycling sites are some of the potential causes of illegal or unauthorised
e-waste disposal.
For effective e-waste management, it is crucial that individuals be motivated to recycle electronic waste
[8]. To succeed, it is crucial to comprehend customer attitudes, beliefs, and behavioural challenges
associated to e-waste recycling [9]. There is no proper study that has been conducted to confirm the lack
of improper management of electronic waste (e-waste) in Brunei Darussalam. Although there is no law
in Brunei Darussalam to deal with hazardous waste management, there are certain and limited facilities
to deal with hazardous wastes as shown in Fig. 1 and 2.

Figure 1. Site for e-waste (Source: Authors) Figure 2. Dissembling area for e-waste parts
(Source: Authors)

A study by the United Nations University in 2015 stated that the average person in Brunei generates
18 kg of e-waste per year, equivalent to 1.5 kg of e-waste per capita per month [10]. In this study, a
primary survey is conducted to determine consumers' awareness and preferences regarding the disposal
of e-waste. Knowledge of e-waste, awareness of e-waste, willingness to recycle, and consumer
preference regarding the appropriate disposal and management of e-waste were identified using
exploratory factor analysis. To the best of our knowledge, no research has been done on how the public
in Brunei Darussalam feels about e-waste recycling and handling. The government-regulated rules and
producer-implemented solutions cannot be put into practice smoothly and successfully without
residents’ attitudes, behaviour, and willingness to engage in recycling activities.

2
6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

2. Factors Affecting E-waste Management

We need to understand what causes this failure and what are the factors that affect the success in
managing e-waste in a proper manner in light of the massive amount of growing e-waste around the
world and the lack of legislation in controlling e-waste. The issue has compelled several governments
to create and put in place environmentally appropriate management strategies. In order to reduce and
manage the threat posed by E-waste to the environment and human health, it has also compelled the
environmental agencies of many nations to innovate, create, and embrace environmentally sound
solutions and strategies for managing E-waste. The contrast between higher income nations and low and
low-middle income nations is that while e-waste management is prioritised in low and lower-middle
income nations, it is made worse in lower income nations by fully aping or imitating the e-waste
management of higher income countries. E-waste management may be hampered by financial
constraints, inadequate e-waste infrastructure and knowledge, a lack of awareness of e-waste's effects,
a lack of laws and regulations, an inadequate description of the roles and responsibilities involved in e-
waste management, among other things.

3. Research Methodology
3.1 Questionnaire Design
The questionnaire was made based on the study of the literature and self-made measurements. Nine
types of common e-waste—namely mobile phones, computers, computer accessories, printers, washing
machines, dryers, television, air-conditioner and kitchen appliances—as research target objects. This
study's questionnaire consists of four major sections that were devised to achieve the research objectives.
In the first section, questions on demographic characteristics such as gender, age group, employment
status, highest education level, and monthly income were taken into consideration. Using the data
collected in this section, it was determined whether socioeconomic variables have an effect on residents'
recycling intentions. The second section of the survey questionnaire looked at respondents’ knowledge
of e-waste such as the definition of e-waste, types of electronics used, the frequency of use, and reasons
for disposing of e-waste to have a general picture of the understanding of residents toward e-waste.
The third section emphasises the measurement of the research model's constructs. Questions
regarding environmental consciousness and recycling such as dangers that e-waste possesses,
participation in recycling, knowledge of disposal facilities of e-waste (Knowledge of drop-off station
for e-waste), willingness to travel and pay for disposal or recycling, inconvenience of recycling,
incentives for recycling was explored based on attitudes and behaviour. For some questions such as e-
waste to be collected at a dedicated management site near your home, e-waste to be collected in a
dedicated place at each sub-district, Local government should provide free containers to collect and store
e-wastes were assessed using a five-point Likert scale. The scale ranged from 1 for “Very unwilling” to
5 for “Very willing” with 3 for “Neutral”. The fourth section focuses on the public’s opinion on the best
way to promote e-waste management.

3.2 Pilot Test

In order to ensure the validity and reliability of the data collection method and identify any potential
issues linked to questionnaires, pilot research with respondents was conducted. Each respondent was
asked to complete all of the survey's questions before their comments and input were compiled and
analysed to help improve the survey. The internal consistency of the variables, which relates to the
accuracy of the data, was examined using Cronbach's alpha. All of the questionnaire's items met
Cronbach's pre-test threshold of greater than 0.7, indicating strong reliability. In addition, by asking
these participants how simple they found the questions to understand, the clarity of every item in the
questionnaire was determined. As a result, certain questions were rephrased, and minor phrasing
modifications were made.

3
6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

3.3 Survey Design

The survey questionnaire was disseminated among the participants in late October 2021 and ceased
accepting responses in early May 2022. There is a total of 352 collected responses, of which only one is
invalid due to improper responses to multiple queries. Therefore, the researchers have considered a total
of 351 respondents. The demographic profile in this survey questionnaire are genders, age group,
working status, number of people in the household, and income range. This survey questionnaire is
designed to identify the behaviour and acceptance of e-waste based on the public’s perception, it also
assesses the knowledge of the public regarding e-waste management. This survey questionnaire is
divided into four parts which consist of demographic profile, knowledge about e-waste, types of
electronics used frequently, awareness about e-waste, and public opinion on e-waste.
This research, with the aim to focus on the residents living in urban areas, conducted the survey in
four Districts of Brunei Darussalam. However, most of the respondents were from Bandar Seri Begawan
of Brunei-Muara District where 70% of Brunei’s population lives. The capital city Bandar Seri Begawan
has many retail shops and electronics with major consumption of electrical and electronic equipment in
Brunei Darussalam. Householders who reside in one of four administrative Districts were chosen as the
study's target respondents. This decision was made for two main reasons. First off, each household was
the primary source of e-waste generation. Second, since electrical and electronics are regarded as shared
property by all household members, it is a family custom to dispose of used electrical and electronics.

4. Results and Discussions

The results from the first section of the questionnaire from the demographic analysis indicate that the
majority of the respondents are female in Table 1. Among all the respondents, most of them are aged
between 22 to 29 years old. The numbers of people per household in Brunei Darussalam are higher
between 6 to 10 people, followed by between 2 to 5 people.

Table 1: Demographic profile of the study sample (351 respondents)

Variable N (%)
Gender
Male 37.9%
Female 62.1%
Age
15 – 17 2.0%
18 – 21 6.8%
22 – 29 41.6%
30 – 39 27.1%
40 – 49 11.7%
Above 50 10.8%
Working Status
Employed (Government) 35.6%
Employed (Private) 33.9%
Student 17.4%
Unemployed 13.1%
Number of people in household
1 4.3%
2–5 43.9%
6 – 10 44.2%
More than 10 7.1%
Income range
Below BND $ 500 17.7%
Between BND $ 501 – BND1000 14.8%

4
6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

Between BND $ 1001 – BND2000 19.9%

Between BND $ 2001 – BND3000 17.1%
More than BND $ 3000 27.1%

Variable N (%)
Education Level
Primary Level 1.1%
Secondary Level 6.8%
College 23.4%
University (Degree) 41.9%
University (Masters) 22.5%
University (PhD) 3.7%

There is a significant difference between the working status of the respondents and their income
range. A higher probability that those with an income of more than BND $ 3000 are employed by the
government. This could also be seen from the education level, with the majority of the respondents are
of Degree holders.
The second section of the survey questionnaire focuses on the information and the basic knowledge
on e-waste among the public as shown in Table 2. More than half of the respondents (57.3%) know what
e-waste is, along with the definitions of e-waste that were provided as options; almost the same amount
of percentage of respondents chose all the definitions of e-waste.

Table 2 Respondents’ views on the definition of e-waste.

Variable N (%) SD
Do you know what Electronic Waste is?
Yes 57.3%
No 41.0%
Not Selected 1.7%
Definition of E-Waste:
Merriam Webster 21.9% 0.41441
EPA, USA 20.5% 0.40227
EPMO, Brunei Darussalam 13.4% 0.35856
StEP 15.4% 0.35001
None of the above 1.1% 0.10629
All of the above 56.1% 0.49540

Table 3 Frequency usage of electronic devices and appliances on a daily basis

Variable N (%) Mean Median (IQR)
Mobile Phones 98.9% 0.9886 0.10629
Computers 86.6% 0.8632 0.34408
Computer Accessories 49.4% 0.4957 0.50070
Printers 46.9% 0.4587 0.49900
Washing Machines 73.6% 0.7379 0.44041
Dryers 31.0% 0.2963 0.45728
Television 76.7% 0.7635 0.42552
Air-conditioner 91.8% 0.9174 0.27570
Kitchen Appliances 80.7% 0.8120 0.39130
Cameras 19.6% 0.1909 0.39356

5
6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

Table 4: Attitudes and behaviour of respondents towards e-waste.

Variables N (%) Mean Median
(IQR)
After Replacement – E-Waste choices
Store them in my house 67.4%
Dispose it as normal waste 10.0%
Sell them as scrap metals 2.6%
Sell them as secondhand goods 11.1% 1.99 1.628
Donate 4.7%
Recycle 1.1%
Others 3.1%
Reasons for stockpiling (storing e-waste in house)
Donate to family members
Sell them 6.8%
Don’t know what to do with it 6.3% 2.97 0.777
Others 58.1%
Reasons that stops from recycling old devices
Sentimental Value
Cost of recycling E-Waste
Data Privacy (Personal Info in devices) 35.9%
Others 10.0% 2.26 1.047
44.2%

Table 4 shows the behaviour of the respondents towards e-waste (old devices and appliances) after
they no longer use it, or after they have replaced it. The researcher asks the respondents what their choice
towards their old devices and appliances would be when they have replaced them, majority of them
(67.4%) store their old devices and appliances in their house, followed by (11.1%) selling them as
secondhand goods and disposing them as normal waste (10%).
Devices that were kept or stored personally are due to sentimental value. Due to most of the
respondents store old devices and appliances at home, the researcher then asks the reason for stockpiling
(storing) them, and to no surprise, most of the reason is that they (58.1%) do not know what to do with
it. Others have also chosen to give their own reasons as to why they stockpile, those reasons were;
sentimental values added to the devices, memories in the devices, this could include photos, and videos,
it serves as a memory bank, for backup devices, and the data in them are private. The researcher proceeds
in asking what the reason for would be not recycling old devices; personal information in devices and
sentimental value of the devices inhibits their reason to recycle.
The primary concern regarding e-waste disposal is a lack of knowledge about recycling facilities.
Approximately 66% of respondents are willing to pay between BND $ 1 -10 for the disposal or recycling
of e-waste, and 38% are willing to travel between 1 and 5 kilometers for disposal or recycling. On
another perspective, 76% of respondents concurred that the government should subsidise e-waste
disposal.
Based on the survey, 60.7% of the respondents have generally participated in recycling. Only 19.1%
of the respondents knew places to recycle e-waste, and only 13.4% are aware of JASTRe’s e-waste drop
off point at Sungai Akar. 76.9% of the respondents agreed that e-waste disposal should be subsidised by
the government. The researcher asked about the potential agencies for e-waste management in Brunei,
82.6% chose the private sector, followed by government agencies, and the community. Others include
NGOs and individuals.
The fourth section of the questionnaire shows the public opinion to promote e-waste management
in Brunei Darussalam as shown in Table 5 majority of the respondents prefer awareness among civil
servants (33.5%), followed by imposing fines (26.4%).

6
6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

Table 5 Publics’ opinion to promote e-waste management

Variables N (%)
The best way to promote e-waste management in Brunei
Darussalam
Impose fines 26.4%
Awareness from school (Primary level) 13.8%
Awareness from school (Secondary level) 11.5%
Awareness from school (Higher educational) 14.3%
Awareness for Civil Servants 33.5%

5. Conclusion
The results of this study showed several factors such as knowledge of e-waste, awareness, and
willingness to recycle influence residents' behaviour toward recycling e-waste. The primary issues with
e-waste management in Brunei Darussalam are the lack of recycling and disposal facilities. It is critical
that laws be introduced to address e-waste management. The study finds that e-waste can be managed
more effectively if it is assigned to the private sector. One of the best examples of stronger steps that
should be implemented to control the e-waste issue at the point sources is enforced legislation. In this
way, the efficacy of recycling may increase. To contribute to a successful e-waste recycling and
management system, laws and regulations that highlight the incorporation of the obligations of all
pertinent stakeholders should be designed and executed. The results of this study showed that residents'
e-waste recycling is primarily influenced by their environmental awareness and attitude toward
recycling. The study has uncovered important underlying factors and incentives that can boost consumer
participation in e-waste collection, setting up the conditions for the operationalisation of the circular
economy. Beyond Brunei-Muara District, there is a need to build more e-waste recycling businesses. In
order to implement Brunei Darussalam's e-waste recycling policy, it is intended that this research would
help to understand citizens' attitudes and behavioural intentions.

References
[1] Dias, P., Bernardes, A.M., Huda, N., 2018. Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
management: an analysis on the Australian e-waste recycling scheme. J. Clean. Prod.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.161.

[2] Rusydina Idris, Shahriar Shams and Ismawi Yusof (2023) Status of e-waste management in Brunei
Darussalam, AIP Conference Proceedings 2643, 030019 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0111791
Published Online: 10 January 2023.

[3] Abdelbasir, S.M., Hassan, S.S.M., Kamel, A.H., El-Nasr, R.S., 2018. Status of electronic waste
recycling techniques: a review. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. 25 (17), 16533–16547.

[4] Alghazo, J., Ouda, O., Alanezi, F., Asam, Z.U., Rehan, M., Salameh, M.H., Nizami, A.S., 2019.
Potential of electronic waste recycling in Gulf Cooperation Council states: an environmental and
economic analysis. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res.

[5] Shamim, A.K. Murshea, R.I., 2015. E-waste, Trading Impact on Public Health and Ecosystem
services in Developing Countries, Int. J. Waste Resour. 5 (2015) 01– 12.

7
 6th International Conference on Civil and Environmental Engineering IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental Science 1303 (2024) 012038 doi:10.1088/1755-1315/1303/1/012038

[6] Schluep, M., Hagelüken, C., Meskers, C., Magalini, F., Wang, F., Müller, E., Kuehr, R., Maurer, C.
and Sonnemann, G., 2009, September. Market potential of innovative e-waste recycling technologies in
developing countries. In R’09 World Congress, Davos, Switzerland.

[7] United Nations University, 2017. E-waste in east and South-east Asia jumps 63% in five years.
Retrieved from https://unu.edu/media-relations/releases/e-waste-in-east-and-south-east-asia-jumps-63-
percent-in-five-years.html.

[8] Echegaray, F., Hansstein, F.V., 2017. Assessing the intention-behavior gap in electronic waste
recycling: the case of Brazil. J. Clean. Prod. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.jclepro.2016.05.064.

[9] Kumar, A., 2019. Exploring young adults’ e-waste recycling behaviour using an extended theory of
planned behaviour model: a cross-cultural study. Resour. Conserv. Recycl.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.10.013.

[10] C. P. Baldé, F., Wang, R. Kueh and J. Huisman, The global e-waste monitor – 2014, United Nations
University, IAS – SCYCLE, Bonn, Germany (2015).

View publication stats