As technology proliferates today’s society, e-waste has become one of the fastest-growing waste streams in the world – and South Africa is no exception.
Looking to combat this burgeoning challenge, Vodacom SA has partnered with non-profit producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Circular Energy to divert e-waste from landfills into recovery and recycling programmes around the country.
“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,” says Takalani Netshitenzhe, director of External Affairs at Vodacom South Africa. “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.”
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 lifecycle 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,” says Patricia Schröder, CEO of Circular Energy. “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.”
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.
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.