Electrical and Electronic Waste Management Practice by households in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia

Increase in the end of life of electrical and electronic products depends on the economic growth of the country, population growth, market penetration, technology upgradation, and obsolescence rates. It can be assumed that the disposal of electronic products is fundamentally driven by the production of new ones. The management of electronic waste has become an environmental concern in many developing countries as urbanization continues to take place. Hence, this studywas conducted in Shah Alam City which is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia. The aim of this paper is to identify current electronic waste management practices by households in Shah Alam, Selangor. In other to ensure a higher response rate, face to face interviews were employed for primary data collection as the interview survey method. Information on knowledge level, attitude and practice on use and EEE disposal was collected using questionnaires. The findings show that the preferred methods of electronic waste disposal by Shah Alam residents are storage and sale as second hand equipment, is about 48% and 37% respectively. Only a fraction of electronic waste (22%) finds it way to recycling facilities as there is no efficient takeback scheme for consumers. Most of the households do not know where and how to dispose of electronic waste in a proper manner. Consequently, they resort to disposing electronic waste outside their premises together with other household wastes. The government needs to improve collaboration amongs take holders in order to enhance public awarenesson electronic waste.