Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequences
The rapid growth of technological advancements is boosting planned obsolescence behavior, subsequently reducing the lifecycle of electronic products, and raising electronic waste (e-waste) concerns globally. Considering this dilemma, this study aims to explore the antecedents and consequences of was...
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| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1537410/full |
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| author | Muhammad Wasif Hanif Muhammad Wasif Hanif Muhammad Nawaz Hui Wang |
| author_facet | Muhammad Wasif Hanif Muhammad Wasif Hanif Muhammad Nawaz Hui Wang |
| author_sort | Muhammad Wasif Hanif |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid growth of technological advancements is boosting planned obsolescence behavior, subsequently reducing the lifecycle of electronic products, and raising electronic waste (e-waste) concerns globally. Considering this dilemma, this study aims to explore the antecedents and consequences of wastophobia to promote sustainable consumption behavior, mitigate e-waste, and enhance environmental performance. Data were collected from the electronics industry consumers (n = 302) and analyzed through structural equation modeling via SPSS and AMOS-26. The results found two fundamental antecedents of wastophobia, including awareness of wasteful consumption and awareness of consequences, which are interrelated but distinct constructs. Together, these determinants significantly cultivated wastophobia in consumer behavior. Moreover, heightened wastophobia has impacted significantly positively on multiple behavioral outcomes, including creative performance, moral courage, and pro-environmental behavior (except for consumer advocacy). The elevated wastophobia rooted in emotions, such as dismay, culpability, and decrepit significantly improves the usability cycle of products, reduces planned obsolescence, e-waste, and consequently enhances environmental performance. This study suggests stakeholders (consumers, organizations, governments, and society) to promote wastophobia culture at societal (community and organizations), national, and global levels to minimize e-waste. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f7fda3e568fe45f3b652ef24ee93e9eb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-f7fda3e568fe45f3b652ef24ee93e9eb2025-08-20T02:40:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-07-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15374101537410Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequencesMuhammad Wasif Hanif0Muhammad Wasif Hanif1Muhammad Nawaz2Hui Wang3College of Economics and Management, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, ChinaCollege of Economics and Management, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, ChinaUrban Construction Project Management Center, Zaozhuang Housing and Urban Rural Development Bureau, Zaozhuang, ChinaThe rapid growth of technological advancements is boosting planned obsolescence behavior, subsequently reducing the lifecycle of electronic products, and raising electronic waste (e-waste) concerns globally. Considering this dilemma, this study aims to explore the antecedents and consequences of wastophobia to promote sustainable consumption behavior, mitigate e-waste, and enhance environmental performance. Data were collected from the electronics industry consumers (n = 302) and analyzed through structural equation modeling via SPSS and AMOS-26. The results found two fundamental antecedents of wastophobia, including awareness of wasteful consumption and awareness of consequences, which are interrelated but distinct constructs. Together, these determinants significantly cultivated wastophobia in consumer behavior. Moreover, heightened wastophobia has impacted significantly positively on multiple behavioral outcomes, including creative performance, moral courage, and pro-environmental behavior (except for consumer advocacy). The elevated wastophobia rooted in emotions, such as dismay, culpability, and decrepit significantly improves the usability cycle of products, reduces planned obsolescence, e-waste, and consequently enhances environmental performance. This study suggests stakeholders (consumers, organizations, governments, and society) to promote wastophobia culture at societal (community and organizations), national, and global levels to minimize e-waste.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1537410/fullawareness of consequencescreative performancemoral couragepro-environmental behaviorwastophobia |
| spellingShingle | Muhammad Wasif Hanif Muhammad Wasif Hanif Muhammad Nawaz Hui Wang Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequences Frontiers in Psychology awareness of consequences creative performance moral courage pro-environmental behavior wastophobia |
| title | Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequences |
| title_full | Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequences |
| title_fullStr | Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequences |
| title_short | Wastophobia: the driver of e-waste management - antecedents and consequences |
| title_sort | wastophobia the driver of e waste management antecedents and consequences |
| topic | awareness of consequences creative performance moral courage pro-environmental behavior wastophobia |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1537410/full |
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