Assessing E-Waste Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices in Urban and Rural Lebanon: Implications for Regulation, Public Engagement, And Effective Management

Abstract

Electronic waste (e-waste) is among the fastest-growing waste streams globally however, in the Lebanese context, the sector remains underdeveloped, with no dedicated e-waste management framework, limited formal collection infrastructure, and an absence of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. Accordingly, this study assessed the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of Lebanese citizens in urban and rural areas regarding e-waste management and examined demographic and socioeconomic predictors of e-waste disposal behavior. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 385 Lebanese citizens recruited from the Beirut Governorate District (urban area) and the rural districts of Keserwan, Zahle, and Koura using convenience sampling with proportional allocation across the study areas.

The findings indicated low to moderate knowledge (≈ 47%), overall positive attitudes (≈ 71.9%), and persistently low levels of appropriate practices (≈ 32.6%), which represent the classic knowledge-practice gap as reported in the KAP literature. There were no statistically significant differences between urban and rural groups in any of the KAP dimensions, which were explained by the similarity in national-level structural factors rather than geographical differences. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed knowledge and attitudes to be significant predictors of e-waste disposal behavior, with attitude having a slightly stronger effect (knowledge: OR=1.051, p=0.001; attitude: OR=1.066, p<0.001). This analysis also demonstrated that socio-demographic variables had limited independent explanatory power. From the SWOT analysis, it is observed that strong attitudinal orientation and high digital readiness rates (smartphone penetration of 97.7%) in Lebanon constitute its strengths, besides the existence of several weaknesses, including the absence of specific e-waste laws and fragmented governance.

To ensure an effective e-waste management in Lebanon, it is imperative that motivation-based public engagement strategies be implemented along with improvements in infrastructure and systems. The findings confirm that e-waste behavior in Lebanon is constrained by systemic factors rather than knowledge alone.