As the demand for the latest technology increases, electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world. To help counter this challenge, Vodacom South Africa has partnered with Circular Energy, a not-for-profit Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), to divert e-waste from landfills into recovery and recycling programmes. The collaboration supports Vodacom’s commitment to promoting a circular economy by reducing its environmental impact and promoting employment opportunities in the green economy.
“E-waste is our business’s second most material environmental issue, and encouraging circularity is key to our purpose which includes empowering people while protecting the planet. Our joint initiative with Circular Energy will ensure a robust system to collect, recycle and reuse waste responsibly across our operations, and play our part in building a sustainable future for generations to come,” says Takalani Netshitenzhe, Director of External Affairs at Vodacom South Africa.
South Africa is one of the highest generators of e-waste on the African continent, producing 530 million kilograms of e-waste a year, according to the UN’s Global E-Waste Monitor. That is equivalent to almost eight kilograms per person in the country. This discarded waste poses serious risks of pollution, health hazards and degradation to the environment. In addressing this issue, Vodacom is supporting a move away from linear consumption patterns – where products are made, used and then discarded – towards a more circular economy, which minimises resource consumption and waste by extending the life cycle of products.
Working with Circular Energy’s takeback scheme will help to ensure the responsible collection, recycling, and environmentally sound management of Vodacom’s e-waste, as well as other waste such as batteries, lighting and lighting equipment and packaging. This complies with the South African government’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations for various waste streams to ensure producers take more responsibility for the end-of-life impact of their products.
“Adopting circular models shifts the focus to waste reduction and resource conservation while creating economic opportunities. It opens pathways to unlock significant value currently lost in traditional ‘linear’ waste processes. Vodacom, through Circular Energy’s initiatives, will realise not only reduced environmental footprints but also substantial economic and skills development benefits within the value chain,” says Patricia Schröder, CEO of Circular Energy.
The partnership with Circular Energy is part of Vodacom’s e-waste circularity initiatives, which are focused specifically on electrical equipment and electronic devices. In the last financial year, Vodacom recycled over 1 273 tonnes of network equipment. The establishment of critical waste collection systems and recycling infrastructure promotes waste diversion from landfills and supports economic development in South Africa with the emergence of a green economy, that will create much-needed opportunities for income, green entrepreneurship, jobs and markets for the collection, extraction and recycling of materials.
According to the GSMA, small IT equipment and electronics constitute around 9% of the total e-waste generated globally. In an effort to reduce this number, Vodacom South Africa is participating in Vodafone and Worldwide Fund for Nature’s ‘1 million Phones for the Planet’ campaign, which looks to raise consumer awareness about the e-waste problem and to incentivise customers to bring back their used devices for trade-in, donation or recycling.
Through Vodacom’s RedLovesGreen programme, customers can return their devices to any of the 37 repair centres nationwide to be repaired, refurbished, resold or sent away to a Vodacom-approved recycling agency to be safely recycled. As part of the collaboration with Circular Energy, Vodacom customers can also have pre-loved devices collected conveniently from their homes to be recycled, simply by completing a request form on the PRO’s website.
“Consumers play a pivotal role in promoting a circular economy. At Vodacom, we are encouraging our customers to actively reduce e-waste through our circularity initiatives. This includes repairing, reusing and recycling devices in the RedLovesGreen programme and taking advantage of Circular Energy’s home collection scheme. Customers can also look at purchasing a refurbished ‘Good as New’ phone, trading in their devices and taking longer 48-month contracts to extend the life cycle of devices and reduce e-waste. If we all do our part today, we can ensure a healthy, prosperous planet for tomorrow,” concludes Netshitenzhe.
