Residuos electrónicos industriales: Estadísticas y tendencias sobre sostenibilidad en las telecomunicaciones
El sector de las telecomunicaciones es desde hace tiempo símbolo de progreso e innovación. No es de extrañar, dado el trabajo pionero que permite a empresas y consumidores beneficiarse de una comunicación mejorada y de la transformación digital. Sin embargo, esta innovación vertiginosa tiene consecuencias medioambientales muy graves, ya que los equipos obsoletos se convierten en residuos electrónicos.
The detrimental environmental impact of e-waste is well-documented, and PICS Telecom is committed to combating it around the world. To help you get a complete picture of such impacts, we put together this overview of key telecom e-waste and sustainability statistics and recycling industry trends.
Generación de residuos electrónicos
In 2021, over 57 million metric tons of e-waste was generated worldwide. That’s equivalent to the weight of 9.5 million African elephants and is projected to reach 75 million metric tons by 2030. However, only 17% of this e-waste is recycled.
Dado que el sector de las telecomunicaciones genera una proporción significativa de estos RAEE, es alentador ver que muchas empresas de telecomunicaciones reconocen su impacto y se comprometen cada vez más a abordar el problema de los residuos electrónicos.
Cómo combaten las telecos los residuos electrónicos
Research shows that 9 out of 10 operators embrace circular economy in their business model to minimize Scope 3 emissions. Whether by implementing in-house systems or by relying on external partners like PICS Telecom, their pursuit of sustainability comes in different forms:
1. Reciclaje y reacondicionamiento de equipos
Refurbishing and reusing existing telecom equipment can be a cost-effective solution for operators and data centers, allowing them to save up to 30% on operational costs. It also extends the lifecycle of the products, enabling organizations to proportionally reduce the amount of e-waste generated.
2. Eliminación responsable de los equipos
In the UK alone, IT and telecom e-waste grew by 98% in the last 15 years. This e-waste data is largely due to improper e-waste management and disposal, as well as limited uptake of reuse and refurbishment by both organizations and consumers. By partnering with certified e-waste recycling organizations, companies can become part of the solution rather than the problem, making huge strides in reaching their ESG goals.
3. 3. Eficiencia energética
A lot of telecom players are investing in energy-efficient technologies, and are creating innovations that can optimize energy use within the industry. For example, 5G networks and hardware such as Massive MIMO are designed to be more energy-efficient and consume 50% less energy than 4G networks.
However, with 5G gaining momentum, it’s inevitable that new 5G-optimized hardware will have to be created and mounted. That would accelerate the obsoletion of many hardware models, creating a huge opportunity for refurbishment and recycling. And that’s where PICS Telecom comes in.
Objetivos futuros y cómo puede ayudar PICS Telecom
PICS Telecom se enorgullece de ser un ejemplo de logro del 0% de vertidos, y estamos deseando ayudar a nuestros socios a alcanzar objetivos similares. Estamos encantados de ver cómo muchos de ellos adoptan la economía circular en sus operaciones y establecen ambiciosos objetivos de cero residuos.
Nuestras soluciones dedicadas a la sostenibilidad de las telecomunicaciones, como nuestro Mercado, pueden ayudarle a encontrar equipos de proveedores de alta calidad a los que todavía se les puede sacar mucho partido. También puede utilizar nuestro Marketplace para vender los equipos que ya no necesita, desbloqueando así nuevas fuentes de ingresos potenciales y ayudando al mismo tiempo al medio ambiente.
Our recycling service model can help organizations achieve their sustainability targets and even reduce operational costs. For instance, we supported one of our partners by providing traffic cones manufactured purely from recycled cables – items that are traditionally very challenging to dispose of responsibly. By using our green solution, the company was able to significantly save on production costs and achieve important ESG milestones.
¿Quiere contribuir a la lucha contra la basura electrónica pero no sabe por dónde empezar?
Take a look at our case studies or get in touch with us here! You can also watch the video below to learn more about the circular economy in telecom: