Educational Influences on E-Waste Management Practices and Compliance among Consumers in Tamil Nadu

The growing use of electronic goods has made e-waste one of the major environmental challenges in India. Tamil Nadu, being one of the most industrialized states, generates a large share of this waste. To address the problem, the government introduced the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. These rules, implemented by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), place responsibilities on producers, consumers, dismantlers, and recyclers through the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mechanism. In practice, however, a large part of e-waste is still handled by informal and unregulated systems, which creates serious risks to health and the environment. Despite the presence of extensive legislation such as the E-Waste Management Rules, 2016 and 2022, improper disposal practices and low public compliance continue to challenge effective e-waste management in Tamil Nadu. While education and awareness programs are widely regarded as key tools to influence sustainable behaviors, there remains a major gap in evaluating their actual impact on consumer knowledge, attitudes, and legal compliance. Preliminary observations indicate that consumers, even those with formal education, exhibit limited understanding of their responsibilities under the law, lack awareness of disposal infrastructure, and rely heavily on informal methods of disposal. This raises concerns about the effectiveness of existing educational interventions and the integration of environmental literacy into mainstream education and public discourse. The present study seeks to assess whether educational initiatives have meaningfully shaped consumer behavior toward e-waste management in Tamil Nadu, and whether there exists a need for more targeted or curriculum-embedded awareness strategies.