Public awareness and willingness to recycle spent nicklecadmium (Ni-Cd) rechargeable batteries

Abstract

Malaysia approaches the management of hazardous waste in an integrated manner, addressing waste handling, storage, treatment and disposal as well as waste assessment and remediation. However, there seems to be no such term as hazardous municipal waste in Malaysia, as it is simply regarded as either solid wastes or hazardous waste and hence, no regulations or policies on the generating public in the aspects of safe disposal. This paper thus, examines the level of awareness in the recycling of Hazardous Municipal Solid Waste (HMSW), with a specific focus on Nickel-Cadmium (Ni-Cd) rechargeable batteries in the study area of Taman Universiti, Johor, Malaysia. From the study carried out, a percentage of respondents (73%) affirmed to the knowledge of recycling Ni-Cd rechargeable batteries and 27% not having the idea. During the course of this study also it was analysed that there was a high rate of willingness to participate, with 85% of respondents willing and 25% not being sure. There was a significant strong correlation of 99%, that is, (r=0.407), and (P<=0.01) between the different income levels and how they perceived the study being carried out from the questionnaires distributed. Awareness within the study area seems to be high due to the level of education of the study area but there are confirmations on low awareness programmes and this could lead to accumulated pollution in the environment.