Waste awareness and behavior of local Polish community has been examined. Specifically, the issue of selective waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) collection has been explored. The main objectives of the research was to evaluate an attitude of the individuals towards e-waste treatment and to recognize the causes of low efficiency of the current WEEE management. The research was conducted among the inhabitants of a small town in Poland. Collected data may be useful while preparing household WEEE management systems. Over 52% of respondents, each was a representative of one household, conducted selective electrical and electronic equipment waste collection. Unfortunately, 12% (mostly young people aged 16-25, 9%) admitted that they threw e-waste mixed with general municipal waste. Another 12% (aged 18-25) claimed that they had never disposed of WEEE. Nowadays, the technology is developing very fast and small electronic devices are frequently exchanged, so the above mentioned statement is unlikely to be true. The research survey confirmed that further costs should be borne on educational activities which will raise people's awareness concerning WEEE threats and motivate them to collect e-waste selectively. The improvement of the management system-increasing the number of e-waste drop off points, is necessary as well.
Improper collection and processing of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) pose a serious threat to the environment and prevent the recovery of valuable materials. Due to the decreasing availability of resources and production materials, the relevance of WEEE recycling has increased. WEEE should be seen as an important source of raw materials for European economies. Moreover, e-waste recycling has a positive impact on the environment by limiting energy use and CO2 emissions during ore processing. The objective of this study was the analysis of the product use times, the reasons for purchasing new devices, and the consumers’ behavior, knowledge, and awareness concerning WEEE collection and treatment. This study discusses these issues based on a survey on electronic waste management in Wroclaw (Poland). The results from 495 questionnaire respondents indicated a shortening use time of many types of electronic and electric equipment (EEE). The “failure of the device” was the primary reason respondents replaced their products. It was indicated by 90% of the respondents. In many cases, the repair of devices was unprofitable. The most important factor determining the purchase of new devices was their price. The environmental factors, mainly those giving economic benefits, were also considered. Despite the implementation of the extended producer responsibility, the functioning model of WEEE collection has proven to be ineffective. A significant amount of small WEEE ended up in waste bins. For this reason, the willingness of residents to pay an additional fee for WEEE collection was also estimated. The results indicated that campaigns to increase residents’ awareness of WEEE management should continue.
When it comes to waste management, the main objective of the European Union is to prevent waste production. Produced waste should be primarily recycled or other recovery should be applied. Introduction of an effective waste collection system is a basic activity that guarantees achieving European Union agenda including the minimal level of recycling and preparation for reuse. The aim of the research was the analysis of the selective waste collection in the detached housing area (before 1st July 2013). The evaluation was prepared on the basis of an opinion research conducted among the residents. One hundred respondents, living in one of the housing estates in Wrocław, took part in the survey.
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