Mobile Phone Recycling and Stockpiling Behaviour in the UAE: A Gender and Age Study

The rapid growth in mobile phone usage has led to an increase in discarded devices. These mobile phones contain hazardous materials that can pollute the environment if not disposed of properly. Recycling mobile phones is a more sustainable option, but it requires user cooperation. This study investigates the factors influencing the intention of mobile phone users to recycle their devices. It focuses on potential demographic differences, particularly age and gender, in attitudes towards mobile phone recycling and stockpiling among men and women in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Using a framework that extends the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), this study incorporates new factors, such as data security and perceived benefits, along with additional factors from the Integrated Business Model (IBM). The study analyzed 601 self-administered online survey responses from UAE residents. Results showed that women were less concerned about data privacy (21%) than men (27%), and stored more devices (34.8%) than men (29.2%), especially when the number of stored devices was two. However, men outnumbered women when the number of stored devices was three or four, with ratios of 15.6% and 13.4% versus 10.4% and 6.8%, respectively. The findings of this study offer valuable insights for stakeholders in the mobile phone industry, underscoring the need to consider demographic differences in attitudes towards recycling and stockpiling when designing Reverse Supply Chain Management (RSCM) systems.