Sectoral Drivers of Circular Behaviour and E-Waste Disposal Pathways in a Rapidly Digitalising Indian City

Introduction: Rapid digitalisation is increasing electronic devices in urban waste streams, creating challenges for circular resource recovery. In rapidly growing cities, obsolete electronics rarely follow a single disposal route, often passing through formal recycling, informal resale, repair, exchange, and long-term storage. Unlike studies that treat e-waste disposal mainly as a household-level behaviour, this study compares multiple urban sectors and examines how sector-specific behavioural drivers influence movement into proper or improper disposal pathways.

Methods: A cross-sectional structured questionnaire survey was conducted between January and May 2025 in the Pune Metropolitan Region, India. The target groups included households, educational institutions, small offices, and trade/retail units, representing key urban sectors involved in digital device use and e-waste generation. A total of 630 valid responses were analysed, comprising households (n=385), educational institutions (n=46), small offices (n=49), and trade/retail units (n=150). Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to assess the relationships between awareness, motivation, perceived barriers, circular-economy behaviour, proper disposal, and improper disposal. Sector-wise comparisons were used to identify differences in circular alignment and disposal constraints.

Results: The results show that awareness and motivation significantly strengthen circular-economy behaviour, whereas perceived barriers weaken it. Circular-economy behaviour increases the likelihood of proper disposal through formal or authorised channels and reduces improper disposal through informal pathways or prolonged storage. Educational institutions and small offices showed stronger alignment with circular practices, while households and trade/retail units were more constrained by convenience, access to collection systems, provider awareness, preparation effort, cost concerns, and informal market incentives.

Conclusions: The study demonstrates that e-waste recovery is shaped not only by recycling infrastructure but also by behavioural readiness, trust, convenience, and sector-specific constraints. By linking behavioural antecedents with disposal pathway outcomes, the study provides a sector-comparative framework for designing targeted e-waste recovery strategies in rapidly digitalising urban regions.