Tackling Industrial E-Waste: Telecom Sustainability Statistics & Trends
People have long hailed the telecom industry as a symbol of progress and innovation. Given the groundbreaking work that enables businesses and consumers to benefit from enhanced communication and digital transformation, that’s no surprise. However, the fast-paced innovation has very acute environmental consequences, as obsolete equipment turns into e-waste.
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.
E-Waste Generation
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.
With a significant proportion of this WEEE being generated by the telecom industry, it’s encouraging to see many telco players recognizing their impact and being increasingly committed to addressing the issue of e-waste.
How Telcos are Combatting E-Waste
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. Recycling and Refurbishing Equipment
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. Responsible Equipment Disposal
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. Energy Efficiency
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.
Future Targets & How PICS Telecom Can Help
PICS Telecom is proud to serve as an example of a 0% landfill achievement, and we’re keen to help our partners achieve similar targets. We’re thrilled to see many of them embracing the circular economy within their operations and setting ambitious zero-waste targets.
Our dedicated telecom sustainability solutions like our Marketplace, can help you find high-quality vendor equipment that still has plenty of beneficial use within. You can also use our Marketplace to sell equipment you no longer need, unlocking potential new revenue streams whilst helping the environment.
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.
Want to contribute to tackling e-waste but not sure where to start?
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:
