Determining the Level of Awareness of E-Waste—The Case of a University of Technology

Electronic waste is one of mankind's main twenty-first century challenges. It is at an estimated yearly growth rate of 50 million tons and is expected to reach 75 million tons by 2030. Electronic waste has the potential to pollute the environment and harm human health. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to determine the awareness level of participants regarding electronic waste’s negative effects using auto-photography and semi-structured interviews to gather data. Participants were freshmen studying for computing qualifications. Content analysis was used to generate themes for the study. Findings suggest there is a low level of awareness regarding the dangers of e-waste when managed inappropriately.