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Understanding Preferences for Recycling Electronic Waste in CaliforniaThe Influence of Environmental Attitudes and Beliefs on Willingness to PaySan Jose State University
University of California, Irvine, saphores{at}uci.edu
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine Increasing stockpiles of electronic waste (e-waste) combined with low recycling rates are threatening human and environmental health because of the hazardous materials in electronic products. To date, however, little is known about household preferences for e-waste recycling alternatives. This study starts filling this gap. Our 2004 mail survey indicates that California households prefer "drop-off recycling at regional centers," with "curbside recycling" a close second. A contingent ranking (CR) analysis shows that households are willing to pay approximately $0.13 per equivalent mile per month to increase e-waste recycling convenience. Our results show that ignoring environmental attitudes and beliefs leads to biased estimates of the trade-offs households are making between cost and recycling convenience. A good understanding of these trade-offs is necessary for a successful recycling program. Finally, this article illustrates some of the strengths and weaknesses of CR, an underused technique for analyzing preference rankings.
Key Words: electronic waste recycling environmental attitudes and beliefs contingent ranking stated preferences rank-ordered logit
This version was published on January
1, 2009 Environment and Behavior, Vol. 41, No. 1,
101-124 (2009) |
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