Exploring the obstacles towards the creation of a circular economy: Replacement and reuse of mobile phones in Greater Mexico City

This paper aims to identify the obstacles to creating a circular economy for mobile phones in Greater Mexico City (GMC). With this goal in mind, 50 in-depth interviews were performed in the Mexican capital to explore the behaviour of Millennial consumers towards mobile phone ownership, replacement, and disposal practices. Practice Theory was employed to analyse why people in GMC replace their phones while they are still useful, the conduit to replace them and what happens to the replaced phones. The findings of this study suggest that, in opposition to popular belief, consumers are not driven exclusively by individual desires and the pursuit of novelty. Furthermore, we identified that the illicit market for stolen phones in GMC and the short mobile services contract incentivise phones' premature disposal and replacement. Insecurity perception and pedestrian mugging are so high in GMC that they have impacted all income levels and significantly increased mobile stockpiling. Overall, the results propose that instead of solely placing efforts at the disposal stage, authorities and companies shouikld address these issues to decrease mobile replacement rates.

Automated summary

This study aims to identify the obstacles to creating a circular economy for mobile phones in Greater Mexico City. The findings suggest that consumers are not solely driven by individual desires and novelty, but that the illicit market for stolen phones and short mobile services contracts also incentivize premature disposal and replacement. Additionally, the high level of insecurity perception and pedestrian mugging in GMC have significantly increased mobile stockpiling.