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When it comes to disposal of cell phones, PDAs, iPods, laptops and other electronic devices, about 35 percent agrees to donate or give the items away, while 26 percent will take them to a site or send in for recycling. In comparison, only 9 percent say they will just throw the old devices away as regular trash.

As expected, disposal habits differ according to age. While only 17 percent in the 18-34 age groups are willing to recycle old products, 32 percent of those aged 35 or above agree to do so. The same goes for donation, with 41 percent in the 35+ age group as opposed to 25 percent in the 18-34 age group. Apparently older people are more likely to dispose of their used items properly.

Additionally, the market research company discovered that two-thirds of the handset and PDA owners plan to replace their devices within the next 2 years. But surprisingly, most of them (78 percent) say it is because they believe the items will either be lost or broken within that time frame, while only 19 percent mention they want to upgrade to the latest version. Again, upgraders tend to be younger: 26 percent of them aged 18 to 34 as against to 14 percent aged 55 or above.

"Lack of confidence in the durability of the product and the experience of losing the phone may be contributing to the expectation of a relatively short life of these products, particularly among younger people," commented Bob Thomas, Executive Vice President of ICR. He also added that the percentage of people planning to upgrade is lower than expected, suggesting we should not rush to label ourselves as a "disposable society".

Still, the study suggests the need of educating people and raising their awareness about the importance and benefits of recycling used phones and other electronic devices, particularly among the younger generation.