Consumer Mobile Phone Recycling Behaviour: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Mobile phone recycling has received increasing attention from scholars and practitioners due to its environmental, social, and economic impacts. However, knowledge about consumer mobile phone (MP) recycling behaviour is fragmented, making it challenging to develop effective strategies to promote this behaviour. This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and provides a framework-based review using the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methods (TCCM) structure to holistically map the theoretical and empirical breadth of existing studies on mobile phone recycling behaviour. In addition, five focus groups with 27 consumers were conducted to complement the review findings and enhance the practical implications of this study. A systematic analysis of 63 peer-reviewed journal articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases reveals that most studies lack clear theoretical underpinnings and primarily focus on developing countries. Various influencing factors (e.g., environmental, psychological, economic and situational factors), mediators, and moderators determine consumer MP recycling behaviour. There is also a lack of qualitative studies and research using mixed methods. The focus group findings reveal that education and communication initiatives are the most important factors in promoting MP recycling, followed by financial incentives, government initiatives and regulations, and initiatives that make MP recycling more convenient. Based on the identified gaps in the literature, this study proposes an agenda to advance the research field.