Replaced or decommissioned electronic equipment from a customer’s network will be shipped back to Cisco to be responsibly reused or recycled through its takeback and reuse programme.
According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), 57.4 million tonnes of e-waste was generated during 2021 with only 20 per cent recycled. WEF also reported that 70 per cent of hazardous waste deposited in landfills is from e-waste.
Hriday Ravindranath, chief product and digital officer at BT’s Global unit, explained, “E-waste is a growing concern and according to WEF now the fastest-growing waste stream in the world. Our customers and partners have made commitments to report on and improve performance in this critical area.
“Creating a more sustainable, circular economy, where we prioritise dematerialisation and avoid equipment going to landfill, is vital. It builds on our leadership in sustainability and will help deliver on our BT Group Manifesto commitments and ambition to connect for good.”
The programme adds to BT’s existing take-back and reuse services for smartphones and is the latest step in BT Group’s Manifesto pledge to move to circular products, networks and operations by 2030. BT aims to then extend that pledge across its supply chain by 2040.