intensity of citizens' perception and behavior towards electronic waste management (a case study, qom city)

Background: the growing use of electrical and electronic equipment in recent decades has generated a noticeable volume of electronic waste (e-waste), posing a major global environmental challenge. therefore, the current study investigated household electronic waste management behaviors among citizens of qom province, iran.methods: the data for this cross-sectional analytical study were collected via a validated questionnaire from 384 citizens visiting recycling centers in qom. subsequent analysis was performed using excel and spss software.results: the was found that only 37% of the respondents perceived the severe environmental consequences of e-waste. in contrast, the majority (93%) were aware of the direct economic benefits of recycling, while 41% recognized the indirect economic benefits. regarding management behaviors, repair and reuse were the most common strategies (reported by 45% to 94% of the respondents), whereas delivering waste to official recycling centers was the least common (less than 5%)conclusion: a lack of awareness regarding the environmental consequences of e-waste reduces its separation rate. thus, decision-makers should incorporate the economic incentives that promote the sale and reuse of electronic equipment into e-waste management plans.