Abstract
Growth in global mobile phone consumption and accelerated technological iteration are driving up the volume of electronic waste, which has become a core challenge to global environmental protection and sustainable development. Malaysia's domestic mobile phone waste management system (PWMS) suffers from low operational effectiveness, and its root causes fall into four categories. Drawing on the triple bottom line framework, this study explores the impact of these four core factors on the effectiveness of the system. This study conducts a quantitative empirical analysis focused on mobile phone e-waste management in Malaysia. It adopts SmartPLS 4 software to run the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM), and collects valid data from 287 respondents. The sample covers mobile phone users, recycling stakeholders, and individuals engaged in e-waste disposal and sustainable practices. In the measurement model, all constructs meet the required standards for reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The study finds that sustainable design, technological innovation, corporate social responsibility, and consumer behavior all have a significant positive impact on the effectiveness of PWMS. Among these factors, consumer behavior exerts the strongest influence. Relying solely on technological and organizational practices is insufficient to support the delivery of set goals, and the four categories of elements must be integrated to construct an e-waste management framework. The core theoretical innovation of this study lies in extending the application of the triple bottom line framework to the scenario of e-waste management in developing economies. It sets out clear action directions for four types of stakeholders: policymakers, environmental protection agencies, recycling operators, and mobile phone manufacturers. The integrated sustainability framework constructed in this study can improve the efficiency of mobile phone waste management in Malaysia and support local long-term environmental sustainable development.