Abstract:
Mobile phone growth rate in Thailand is increasing. In 2007 the number of
mobile phones being used was 8.5 million and it was up to 9.6 million in 2008 with a
growth rate of 11%. Eventually, mobile phones used in the world (and in Thailand)
will become waste in one or two years, due to their lifespan. Without proper
management these obsolete phones will affect the environment and human health
because of the hazardous components inside mobile phones. This research was
conducted to investigate the perception of respondents concerning the proper disposal
of mobile phones. As well, it investigated whether or not the deposit/refund and
advanced recovery fee have been welcomed by consumers in Bangkok. The study site
for the research was Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 400 mobile phone users were
randomly selected from the major mobile phone shopping malls in Bangkok. A
structured questionnaire was used in the research and the results were interpreted
through SPSS 14 statistic values including percentage, mean and standard deviation.
The relationship between the socio-economic level of the participants and their views
toward the deposit/refund and advanced recovery fee was studied using Chi-square.
The term deposit/refund used in this study refers to a sum of money that is
given and paid at point of purchase of mobile phones as a guarantee of returning
mobile phones to the designated centers or points. Moreover, advance recovery fee
refers to an end-of-life mobile phone management fee that is imposed on consumers
when they purchase a product. The fee is used by mobile phone management in order
to subsidize the process. The study found that 73.3% of the respondents showed a
high level of understanding of used mobile phone management. A total of 44.6 % of
the respondents agreed on the recovery fee. The results showed that the major
advanced recovery fee of respondents was less than 50 baht, at a percentage of 48.4,
followed by 50 - 100 baht, at the percentage of 35.8. The results also showed that
there was a total of 25.6 % of respondents who agreed on the deposit and refund. The
results found that the major deposit of respondents was 50 - 100 baht (34.8%),
followed by less than 50 baht (32.8%).
The study proposed 2 options for a deposit and refund or advanced recovery
fee program. First, mobile phone manufactures should establish themselves as
responsible organization to take care of all the waste. Second, mobile phone owners
should pay to take care of all the waste.