Understanding Preferences for Recycling Electronic Waste in California: The Influence of Environmental Attitudes and Beliefs on Willingness to Pay

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.