Bridging Awareness and Action: E-waste Recycling Intentions Among Youths Through VBN and TPB Perspectives

Although electronic waste keeps piling up in Southeast Asia, young adults are still low in awareness of the harm of e-waste to their environment. This paper evaluates how psychological and social factors—drawn from the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)—shape intentions to recycle e-waste using survey data from 108 Malaysian and Indonesian respondents (aged 18–30). While environmental values and knowledge of repercussions greatly influence e-waste recycling intention, results reveal that perceived behavioural control and personal moral obligation are the best predictors of this intention. These results suggest that narrowing the discrepancy between awareness and behaviour may depend on young people’s sense of efficacy and moral commitment being strengthened. Research findings can direct teachers and legislators in creating focused campaigns to support global sustainability objectives including SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 12 (Appropriate Consumption and Production), therefore guiding appropriate e-waste disposal. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.