Date of Award
2010
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Natural Resources
First Advisor
Diouf, Arona Dr.
Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to determine how much the general student population understands about the dangers and lost value that result from not properly recycling end-of-life (EOL) electronic devices. It was believed that changing the language associated with EOL electronics would, in turn, change the disposal practices of the general student population. College students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T SU) and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) were chosen for this study because college students are a large group of electronic device consumers and because they are the next generation of homeowners. By assessing their understanding and disposal practices, we can get a glimpse of the future of waste disposal and gain some perspective on how to ensure that future generations will be concerned with minimizing the amount of waste they produce. A survey was developed and distributed electronically and in person to 274 students. It was found that students actually have a better understanding than expected of the contents of electronic items and of the problems associated with electronic items in landfills. Most students thought that recycling electronic items was at least ―somewhat important.‖ Students indicated that they were not aware of the term ―e-scrap‖ and their recycling practices were not influenced by the term ―e-waste.‖ Finally, students indicated xi that they would recycle EOL electronic items more if they knew more about the problems of not recycling. This research suggests that the key to reducing the amount of electronic devices being landfilled is to increase the amount of outreach and education for the public. Citizens should be made aware of what electronic items are made of so that they understand more appropriately the dangers associated with landfilling EOL electronics. If more citizens knew about the dangers to human health from landfilling, and the amount of recyclable materials and precious metals inside electronic items, then citizens would be more likely to take the necessary steps to dispose of their electronic items responsibly
Recommended Citation
Clark, Bethany L., "Evaluation Of The Current Knowledge, Attitude And Perception Of End-Of-Life Electronics Among Students Of Selected North Carolina Universities Located In Guilford County" (2010). Theses. 9.
https://digital.library.ncat.edu/theses/9