Driving circularity

E-waste is our business’s second most material environmental issue. Circularity is a key enabler of our planet strategy. It considers the full life cycle of a resource and aims to eliminate waste – reducing environmental impact. We aim to use resources for as long as possible to maximise the return on capital employed and recover and reuse materials responsibly. We seek to manage our impact responsibly and support our customers’ efforts. Our waste management policy prioritises safe and responsible reuse and recycling, and our waste hierarchy embeds sustainable practices throughout our operations and supply chain activities.

Our e-waste circularity initiatives consider two types of e-waste:

• Network equipment: Including radio equipment used to run our fixed and mobile access networks; and
• Electronic devices: Including smartphones we sell to customers

Improving customer awareness of product sustainability

The pan-industry Eco Rating initiative aims to improve transparency, raise awareness of the environmental impact of handsets, and inspire the industry to accelerate a transition towards a more circular model for mobile phones. Eco Rating labelling on devices helps customers make more conscious and sustainable purchases. Following a detailed assessment, each handset receives an overall Eco Rating score out of a maximum of 100 to represent its environmental performance across its entire life cycle. The Eco Rating label highlights five key aspects of mobile device sustainability – durability, repairability, recyclability, climate efficiency and resource efficiency. Through Eco Rating we continue to help consumers identify and compare the most sustainable mobile phones on the market, while encouraging suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of devices. Eco Rating is available in South Africa with roll-out to additional markets being assessed.

Examples of how we are contributing to the ambitions and targets of SDG 12