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Old smartphones lying in cupboards? Why UAE residents fear recycling their devices

Recycling has become increasingly important as users have begun replacing their devices much faster

When Mohammed Zubair bought a new phone last month, he wanted to pass on his old phone to his teenage daughter. “But she refused to take my iPhone 12, saying it was too outdated,” he said.

“She was saving up to buy a new phone. Neither my house help nor the car cleaner wanted it. The only option I had was to give the phone away for recycling.”

Zubair, however, was not keen on recycling his phone owing to the massive personal data stored in it. “There are so many photos of my children as babies and I have important documents that I need to transfer to a hard drive and then delete,” he said.

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“I worry that even if I delete the data, someone will be able to recover it and use it. So the phone might just sit in the back of my cupboard with two of my older laptops and three phones.”

According to industry experts, fear of inappropriate use of data is one of the biggest deterrents to recycling devices among UAE residents.

“Inconvenience and trust are significant barriers,” said Shafi Alam, from Samsung Gulf Electronics. “If recycling or trade-in processes are not user-friendly, offer value-for-money and are not accessible, customers may be deterred from participating. Garnering awareness around recycling programmes in the region is also key to encouraging consumers.”

This has become increasingly important as users have begun replacing their devices much faster. “We have witnessed a keenness to upgrade to the latest technology,” he said.

“We are seeing a trend where the majority of customers upgrade their mobile devices every 12-24 months so as to be the first to experience the future of mobile technology.”

According to Ashish Panjabi, COO of Jacky’s group of companies, there is a reason people are concerned about trading in phones. “There have been documented cases where in one instance a corporate gave in all their old phones for recycling without wiping off their data and had it misused,” he said.

“However, now most recycling partners have got policies in place to ensure that devices are disposed of without any such risks. That is why it is important to look at reputed and reliable partners to get rid of old gadgets.”

He said the biggest challenge is to get customers to recycle their device for the first time. “Data shows that making person trade their device for the first time is the biggest bottleneck,” he said. “The moment they trade once, they do it more often. It is a question of getting them past that first step and then they will keep doing it as a habit.”

Samsung has seen a steady increase in popularity of such recycling programmes. The brand runs a campaign that gives customers who trade in their old devices credit for newer products. “Consumers are increasingly recognising the value proposition and taking advantage of the opportunity to offset the cost of a new device while also making a positive environmental impact,” said Shafi. “This enthusiasm is evident in the increased participation and the positive feedback we receive directly from customers.”

Types of devices

According to Ashish, phones and laptops are the most recycled devices. “They are the easiest to recycle and there is a huge secondary market,” he said. “The bulky devices like TV, fridges and washing machines are a lot more difficult because logistically, there is a lot more to it and value-wise, there is a lot less. Tablets and watches are also being increasingly recycled.”

However, Shafi said they are seeing an increasing demand for recycling bulky devices as well. “We have witnessed a shortened product upgrade cycle,” he said. “With every new series release comes a slate of new features and perks, encouraging consumers to get their hands on the latest technology. This trend extends to Samsung appliances. We have seen consumers looking to purchase more energy efficient appliances such as refrigerators, in order to be more environmentally conscious and reduce their expenses in the long run.”

He said the brand is helping customers to trade-in and recycle these appliances. “We're making it easier and more affordable for customers to upgrade to the latest technology while also extending the lifecycle of existing devices,” he said. “Trade-in programmes are experiencing a surge in popularity. By offering attractive trade-in values and a streamlined process, businesses can capitalise on this while simultaneously promoting a circular economy.”

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