Exploring the Awareness Outcomes of Educating ICT Students on the Environmental Implications of e-Waste Recycling and Energy Consumption in Data Centers

Contributions: This article explores the impact of environmental education interventions about e-waste recycling and management practices as well as about the energy usage of data centers (DCs) into the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) university curricula. Intended Outcomes: An education program was implemented aiming to raise awareness about energy conservation, attitudinal disposition, and e-waste management practices of ICT students in a Greek University. Methodology: The results were derived from the processing of two questionnaires (pretest and post-test data), which were distributed during two lectures on sustainability and green information technology at a two-week interval. Findings: The findings of the study prove that although the majority of the ICT students had a deficient level of knowledge of e-waste recycling and energy usage in DCs, they showed a significant increment of knowledge and awareness regarding them. Moreover, it was observed that the direct effect of the educational intervention on the intention of the students to engage in e-waste recycling was significant. The research also revealed that ICT students showed a positive perception and attitude toward e-waste recycling and recognized the positive financial effect of the proper e-waste recycling and management after the educational intervention.