Firm and Board Characteristics, and E-Waste Disclosure: A Study in the Era of Digitalisation

Abstract

Business sectors face the advent of digitalisation, bringing attention to e-waste, or waste generated from obsolete electrical and electronic appliances. In addressing this issue, the study intends to examine e-waste disclosure by Bursa Malaysia listed firms. Specifically, this study investigates the extent and quality of e-waste disclosure, observes whether the reporting differs between industries and the boards on which the firms are listed, and investigates if e-waste disclosure is associated with firm and board characteristics. A total of 92 firms in the telecommunication and technology industries, listed on the Main and Ace boards of Bursa Malaysia, were selected as samples. The results reveal that despite an indication that e-waste reporting applies to the two sectors, only 16% of the firms report their commitment to managing e-waste. The disclosure shows how e-waste reporting is low in quantity and is circulated with only very general, qualitative information. An independent sample t-test reveals that firms listed on the Main board report significantly more e-waste information than their counterparts. Another t-test indicates an insignificant difference in e-waste disclosure between the firms under study. Furthermore, firm size significantly impacts e-waste disclosure, while firm performance, board size, and board gender diversity show insignificant impact. The results of this preliminary study shed some light on business firms’ commitment towards their e-waste management and reporting, which is a substantial factor for Malaysia to achieve environmental sustainability.

The Determinants of Consumers’ E-Waste Recycling Behavior through the Lens of Extended Theory of Planned Behavior

“…In fact, e-waste is one of the world's fastest emerging waste categories, which records 3-5% on an annual basis [3]. Based on a study published by the United Nations University's Global E-waste Monitor 2020, 53.6 million metric tons (Mt) of e-waste were generated in 2019 [4,5]. Concurrently, Asian countries generate nearly half of this enormous figure-24.9 Mt.…”

“…Yong [12] highlighted that e-waste generation is now a significant issue across all countries in the world, mainly because the harmful elements and chemical substances can cause adverse effects on both the environment and human health. These hazardous substances (i.e., lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, cathode ray tubes, chromium, and polybrominated biphenyls), if mismanaged, are detrimental to the environment and human health [4,[13][14][15][16][17][18][19]. In addition, e-waste releases greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting substances.…”

“…Lastly, regarding the practical gaps, there are vast volumes of e-wastes that have flooded to unauthorized recycling facilities which use inappropriate recycling methods and incinerate some valuable parts of e-waste that can be resold. The reason for this circumstance is that prior research discovered that Malaysians have limited knowledge of e-waste and its repercussions [4,33]. Thus, Malaysians were reported to be uninformed about proper e-waste disposal.…”

Managing sustainable E-Waste resilient infrastructure effectively with the introduction of Smart Bin

“…Many countries and organizations have implemented ewaste collection and recycling programs to promote responsible disposal. Some have even established dedicated drop-off centers for convenient e-waste disposal [13,14]. Additionally, electronic manufacturers and retailers are initiating voluntary take-back programs, encouraging customers to return faulty products while reducing transportation costs [9].…”

ESG Modeling and Prediction Uncertainty of Electronic Waste

“…Further, contributing to ESG research that focuses on e-waste, Cotta [21] emphasized the problems of access to resources and allocation of responsibilities, risks, and burdens in the global trade of e-waste. Given that ESG committees usually involve C-level decision makers, Abd-Mutalib et al [22] looked at the issue from the lens of corporate disclosures, and investigated the extent and quality of e-waste disclosure and its variability based on the businesses and boards' characteristics. The authors indicated that the size of the corporate boards was positively correlated with the e-waste management and disclosure.…”