From digital engagement to cleaner e-waste practices: How social media interactions shape recycling and knowledge sharing

Abstract

The rapid growth of electronic waste presents major challenges to the effectiveness of cleaner waste systems, particularly in rapidly urbanizing contexts where rising e-waste consumption has outpaced the development of formal collection channels. While prior studies largely focus on infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, limited attention has been given to behavioral mechanisms that can activate cleaner e-waste flows at the system level. This study examines how digital social engagement contributes to cleaner e-waste practices by influencing individual recycling and knowledge-sharing behaviors. Survey data from 492 social media users were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Grounded in the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework, the research finds that community green interaction and immersion positively influence both hedonic and eudaimonic motivations, which, in turn, drive e-waste recycling and knowledge sharing. However, perceived environmental effectiveness encourages enjoyment-driven knowledge sharing but weakens the effect of value-driven motivation on behavior. This study extends the literature on cleaner waste systems by demonstrating how social media-enabled engagement can serve as a complementary behavioral lever to improve the efficiency of e-waste circulation alongside formal waste management measures.