Post-Use Behavior of Electronics: An Analysis of Electronic Waste Disposal by Students of the Faculty of Engineering, Humanities, and Social Sciences of Seridó (FELCS)

Abstract

The 21st century is marked by major advancements and the emergence of new technologies that facilitate people's daily lives, but also lead to increased consumption of electronic products and, consequently, the disposal of electronic waste. This study, conducted with students from the Faculty of Engineering, Letters, and Social Sciences (FELCS) at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), aimed to comprehensively understand and identify the knowledge of undergraduate students regarding the personal disposal of electronic materials, exploring their post-use behavior. To this end, a mixed approach, both qualitative and quantitative, was employed through an online survey with 29 participants, with questions designed to achieve the proposed objective. The findings revealed that most students replace their devices only when they stop working and that approximately 50% sell their old devices when acquiring new ones, with technical problems and accidents being the main reasons for replacement. Additionally, it was identified that 50% of the surveyed students have little knowledge about the correct disposal of electronics. The main obstacles to proper disposal were the lack of information, difficulty accessing specific collection points, the economic value invested in the purchase, and convenience. In this sense, the investigation corroborates other studies in the field and may help electronics companies implement product return policies for recycling and reuse, as well as provide the government with input for public campaigns promoting proper disposal, reaching consumers more effectively.