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With the rapid increase in the consumption of electrical and electronic innovations, responsible management and recycling of electronic waste (e-waste) or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) has been a significant concern for the governments, stakeholders, researchers and industry practitioners around the world. Consumer awareness, disposal behaviour and perception are chief facets of designing sustainable management strategies. Although researchers have widely studied e-waste over many years, the research focusing on consumer awareness about e-waste recycling has gained momentum recently. This paper aims to systematise the existing literature and explore future research prospects on household e-waste sorting behaviour.

Web of science (WoS) core collection was searched using selected keywords to identify relevant articles published from 2001 to 2021. The search resulted in 1,156 research articles published from 2001 to 2021. After a detailed study, 85 articles were shortlisted for in-depth review. The review was conducted based on global trends, top journals, most prolific authors, most active e-waste research countries, and institutions centring on consumer participation in e-waste disposal and recycling behaviour. The present research has also identified around eleven factors that seem to have a bearing on consumer behaviour towards storage, disposal and recycling of e-waste.

E-waste research has gained increased attention in the last five years. The majority of the studies has focused on motivational factors and ignore the risks associated with handling e-waste. The present study reports the pertinent issue of lack of awareness among the masses about e-waste handling and disposal. Thus, bringing to the fore the lack of awareness programmes and initiatives. The analysis presents the gaps in the literature and future research agendas.

The review article will help in providing an in-depth understanding of consumer behaviour towards storage, disposal and recycling of e-waste and delineates the future direction of research that may be undertaken in this field of study.

The purchase of green products is not the finale of green consumer behaviour but the environmental concern is crucial in post-purchase behaviour. Studies on pro-environmental purchase behaviour are abundant and but studies on environmental concern in use, evaluation and disposal are scarce. This paper aims to examine the pro-environmental factors influencing post-purchase behaviour and their impact on green consumer behaviour.

Data for this study was collected from the respondents with the help of a structured questionnaire. Data is analysed using factor analysis to examine the important factors influencing post-purchase variables and green consumer behaviour and the multiple regression to understand the contribution of post-purchase variables to green consumer behaviour.

Eco-conscious, risk and comfort in user behaviour, satisfaction and eco-appraisal in evaluation behaviour and eco-conscience, disposal challenges and eco-responsible in disposal behaviour are the vital factors. Eco-conscious and comfort in use, satisfaction in evaluation and eco-conscience, disposal challenges and eco-responsible behaviour in disposal are positively related to green consumer behaviour and risk in use and eco-appraisals in the evaluation are insignificant.

Considering the very limited studies on green post-purchase behaviour, this study provides insights into the pro-environmental post-purchase behaviour and its contribution to green consumer behaviour.

This paper aims to quantify the impact of antecedents (frustration, locus of control, spirituality, and religion and attention to social-comparison information) on the intensity of emotional outcomes of consumers’ disposal behaviour.

A structural equation model fitted with PLS was used to evaluate data obtained from 323 self-administered questionnaires filled out in a stratified random sample of respondents living in Gaza Strip camps.

Spirituality and religion, and attention to social-comparison information have the highest impacts on emotional outcomes related to consumer disposal behaviour.

Spirituality and religion are seldom considered in previous consumer research, but they turn out to have high relevance for disposal-related emotions.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating disposal-related emotions. Moreover, it is also the first study combining the impact of frustration, locus of control, perceived self-efficacy, spirituality and religion and attention to social-comparison information on emotional outcomes related to consumers’ disposal behaviour.

This study aims to test how waste disposal behaviors can be changed such as higher recycling diversion and lower contamination rates using signage and messaging techniques at public outdoor waste receptacles on a university campus.

The experiment took place at five public outdoor receptacle stations, each with a landfill and recycling receptacle, which were located in highly trafficked areas on the University of Florida campus. The study consisted of three phases, each lasting for three weeks. During phase one, no signage and messaging were introduced; during phase two, negative and concrete messaging was placed on signs that stood above the two receptacles; and during phase three, positive and abstract messaging was placed above the receptacles. Waste audits were conducted by separating and weighing the waste.

With signage and messaging implementation, the recycling diversion rates increased and contamination in the recycling receptacles decreased. However, there was not a consistent decrease in contamination in the landfill receptacles. The study also showed that the negative and concrete messaging was more effective at both increasing diversion rates and decreasing contamination rates at the recycling receptacles.

Waste managers on university campuses need to address the purpose and type of messaging being used at waste receptacles to maximize behavior and/or education outcomes.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first time waste disposal behaviors have been analyzed and experimented on at public outdoor receptacles on a university campus.

A growing sensitivity to environmental issues has stimulated increased consumer recycling of post‐consumer product waste. Post‐consumer textile waste is a largely untapped commodity with strong reuse and recycling potential. This study explored consumer practices regarding textile waste disposal. Findings revealed the use of several textile disposal options with significant relationships between options used and attitudes toward recycling. This research is a necessary precursor to the establishment of organised textile recycling programmes.

The purpose of this paper is to study clothing and shoes disposal behavior of US consumers in an attempt to understand how to divert more clothing and shoes from the landfill.

A survey was administered to 209 consumers from the general US population. The survey includes questions on demographics, methods of disposal and factors that motivate or prevent consumers from choosing methods other than throwing unwanted clothing in the trash.

Analysis of demographic data from the survey indicates that gender, income, marital status, living arrangement and type of dwelling have an effect on whether consumers recycle textiles. Other survey results indicate that helping factors are more influential in motivating consumers to recycle clothing and shoes than economic factors. The condition of clothes and shoes and lack of awareness are the most prominent reasons preventing consumers from recycling more textiles. The results also show that there are statistically significant differences between households with and without children when it comes to disposing adults’ clothing and shoes.

These results may help policymakers who want to motivate consumers to recycle or develop recycling programs.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the apparel disposal process and explore, specifically, male disposal through consignment vs donation disposal modes. This study hopes to uncover not only the process but the influences that motivate these behaviors.

Observations at two sites included conversational interviews with employees as well as consumers disposing apparel through these sites. Collection took place over two months with 26 interviews taking place.

Themes of seasonal change and financial incentive suggest the use of consignment as a separate process for consumers from donation. Consignment suggested value, while donation was viewed as a habit.

Previous research as well as the findings of this study suggest that apparel donation is similar across genders. They also suggest that consignment is viewed by male consumers as a separate action from donation.

Little to no research has been conducted to understand male apparel disposal, studies on disposal has focused primarily on college-aged females (i.e. Morgan and Birtwistle, 2009). This study adds to a limited body of work to understand the differences and very possible similarities across genders in this behavior.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the different types of domestic waste disposal in rural China and the major factors that affect rural household waste disposal behavior.

Stratified and randomly sampled household data are used to describe the disposal of domestic waste in rural China, including domestic garbage and organic waste (human excreta, livestock waste, and kitchen waste); econometric models are estimated to quantify the major determinants of household domestic garbage and human excreta disposal.

While about 30 percent of the domestic garbage in 2008 was discharged to appropriately designated places, more than 40 percent of the garbage was discharged casually. Organic waste at the time of data gathering was still largely used in agricultural production, although a falling trend has been evidenced in recent years. Based on econometric analysis, it becomes clear that income growth, rising population density, and transportation improvements have significantly improved domestic garbage disposal, but negatively affected the recycling of human excreta. The provision of an adequate garbage collection service has the most positive effects on garbage management.

The analyses are based on primary survey data. The results will have significant policy implications on the management of rural domestic waste to maintain better rural environment.

To achieve proper waste management, the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste) is one suitable method. Most developing countries, including Malaysia, are facing lack of e-waste recycling facilities and low household participation. Using a survey method using a questionnaire, this study aims to examine the intention of Malaysian households to drop-off their mobile phones to the nearest collection boxes (n = 600).

This study expanded the theory of planned behavior by adding environmental awareness and knowledge. In addition, the cost of disposal and the convenience of the available disposal infrastructure were measured as two parts of the perceived behavioral control.

The results of this study show that environmental knowledge and awareness have a significant impact on attitudes toward recycling intention of the households. In addition, it was also found that the attitude and cost of disposal infrastructure is positively related to household intention.

These results show that if e-waste collection boxes are provided to the nearest community and e-waste management information is distributed, this will increase household participation in e-waste management.

There is widespread consensus that unchecked growth of e-waste is a major challenge to global sustainability transition. Current research has failed to connect e-waste with principles of circularity and sustainability from the consumption perspective. This paper aims to answer the following questions: What kind of environmental behaviors (EBs) exist among consumers in relation to e-waste?; In what ways are these consumers different from and similar to each other based on their EBs in relation to e-waste?; How do consumers and their EBs contribute to sustainable waste management?

Based on primary data from an Indian sample of information and communication technology consumers, EBs relevant to e-waste management are identified. In the next stage, a behavior-based segmentation and profiling of consumers is performed.

The first phase of analysis produced eight distinct EBs which were then used in the next phase to obtain a consumer typology of three segments. The three consumer segments differed significantly with each other on general environmental behavior and awareness about e-waste.

The paper develops a comprehensive conceptual framework for studying the demand-side circularity transition for sustainable e-waste management.

For business stakeholders, findings of the study and the proposed framework can inform behavior change interventions to customize offerings for different right consumer segments.

The paper adds new knowledge to the intersectional area of e-waste, consumer behavior and sustainability through the development of consumer typology and a conceptual framework.