Recycling network waste
Advances in telecommunications technology mean we often need to replace network equipment at our base stations, normally with more energy efficient versions. We resell used equipment where possible, or recycle it through recycling partners.
Network waste includes redundant switches, cables, metal antennas and masts, construction waste, wood and batteries. This includes some hazardous waste, mainly from lead acid batteries used as a back-up power supply for base stations.
At the end of a base station's useful life, recycling technicians identify and test whether the equipment can be sold for reuse. We refurbish network equipment from local operating companies in developed countries for reuse in emerging markets. Equipment that cannot be resold is broken down into separate materials for recycling. The first step is to identify and remove any hazardous substances.
Non-hazardous materials are separated:
- Cardboard, aluminium and steel are recycled and returned to productive use
- Plastics are incinerated to produce energy
- Circuit boards are sent to a specialist refiner to recover precious metals including palladium, copper, gold and silver. Vodafone receives a share of the revenue from the sale of these precious metals.
The non-hazardous materials from lead acid batteries can be separated to produce lead alloys, gypsum (a mineral common in building materials) and a copolymer (a type of plastic) that can be sold. Hazardous acids from batteries are neutralised and then disposed of responsibly.
Some network components contain the hazardous material beryllium oxide, which cannot be recycled at present. This is being stored by our recycling partners while ways to recycle it are being investigated.
See our performance on reuse and recycling in 2007/08.