Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of electronic waste management among Makerere University students, Kampala, Uganda
Abstract
The need for electronics is on the rise especially in academic institutions. With this increasing need, students are therefore required to possess items such as laptops and phones for day-to-day activities such as lectures and communication. As time goes by, these electronics may no longer be required by the original user hence resulting into a high volume of electronic waste (e-waste). This generation of e-waste necessitates proper management to protect human health and the environment. What the students know, feel or do with this waste is hardly known in many settings including institutions of learning such as universities.
The objective of the study was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Makerere University students on e-waste management so as to generate information to be used to develop appropriate interventions that may create awareness and improve management practices thus reducing the health and environmental impacts of e-waste. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among undergraduate students of Makerere University. A total of 336 participants was employed, and data collected using a structured questionnaire. Collected data was analysed at univariate level in STATA 14 software to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices of e-waste management among students. The majority of participants 267 (79.5%) were aged between 20-25 years, and more than half were males 179 (53.3%). Most participants 153 (45.5%) had low knowledge levels on e-waste management, though the majority 180 (53.6%) knew what e-waste was. More than three quarters of the participants 282 (83.9%) never knew any e-waste legislations in the country. The majority of participants had positive attitudes towards e-waste management 275 (81.8%), most 251 (74.7%) agreed that e-waste is different from other wastes and almost all the participants 319 (94.9%) agreed that e-waste should not be disposed with general waste. Mobile phones 223 (42.6%) were the most disposed e-waste, followed by computers 89 (17.0%). Most students 125 (35.3%) disposed of e-waste by selling as second hand. The results indicate low knowledge, positive attitudes and poor practices towards e-waste management. There is a need for various stakeholders such as the university administration to enhance knowledge among students regarding the effects of poor e-waste management to humans and the environment so as to improve e-waste management practices.