Electronic waste management in California: Consumer attitudes toward recycling, advanced recycling fees, 'green' electronics, and willingness to pay for e-waste recycling

Electronic waste (e-waste) management has attracted increasing attention in recent years from government, business, non-governmental organizations, and consumers. Indeed, consumer electronics devices (CEDs) contain many toxic materials that can have detrimental impact on public health and the environment, if improperly disposed. Many governments outside the U.S., including in Japan and in the European Union, have enacted legislation to address this new environmental challenge. In the U.S., unfortunately, e-waste recycling rates are low, the recycling infrastructure is underdeveloped, and there are currently no federal laws dealing with e-waste recycling. California has taken a leading role, however. Using a variety of econometric models (semi-nonparametric extended ordered probit, ordered logit, and rank-ordered logit) and incorporating both internal and external explanatory variables, I explore e-waste management in California through four independent, yet interrelated studies.; First, I examine households' willingness to recycle e-waste at drop-off recycling facilities. Results highlight the importance of recycling convenience and lead to several policy recommendations for municipalities to maximize recycling response rates. The second essay explores public support for advanced recycling fees (ARFs) for CEDs. A majority of respondents support a 1% ARF. Even greater support could possibly be achieved through the use of public-private partnerships to address e-waste management. Long-term approaches to managing electronics should not be restricted to end-of-life issues, however, so in my third essay, I focus on consumer willingness to pay higher prices for "green" electronics. Most people only support a 1% premium, but public education campaigns to increase awareness and inform consumers about the environmental impacts may increase this. Finally, I explore consumer preferences for e-waste recycling alternatives and estimate willingness to pay for e-waste recycling through contingent ranking. Curbside recycling is the most preferred alternative, but drop-off recycling at regional centers is also widely supported. Respondents indicate the least support for the "Pay As You Throw" option.; As governments continue to search for effective solutions to the e-waste problem, policies decisions need to be informed by a thorough understanding of consumer attitudes toward e-waste management. This research highlights this issue and provides policy recommendations to effectively address this new environmental challenge.