Utilization and management of electronic goods by different households in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines

Electronic device purchases in the Philippines are increasing due to the thriving economic situation in the country. People are buying more electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) because these are made affordable and upgraded in a fast pace. Maximum utilization of EEE leads to the increasing number of e-wastes which contain hazardous materials that may occupy huge space in the landfills. Yet, there is no such specific law on e-waste available in our country today. This study was conducted in Cagayan de Oro which is considered as one of the most progressive cities in the Philippines. The objective of this paper was to determine the amount of e-wastes generated and the management practices by the households. Only households that were willing to be interviewed and participated were considered for the study. The information on knowledge level, attitude, practice on use, EEE disposal and the quantity of e-waste generated were collected using a survey questionnaire. To guarantee the high response rate, interviews were also employed. The finding shows that mobile phones and chargers were the most utilized equipment and the most e-waste generated among the EEE's. The preferred methods of e-waste disposal by the households were the following: sell to scrap dealers, keep at home or repair. Most of the households do not know where and how to dispose in a proper manner. Moreover, there is no collection mechanism in the area. Therefore, public awareness and proper management of ewastes are necessary to minimize disposal to landfills and prevent the adverse effects of these substances to human society and to the environment.