Vodacom South Africa has partnered with Circular Energy, a non-profit Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO), to divert e-waste from landfills into recycling and recovery programmes. This collaboration aligns with Vodacom’s commitment to a circular economy by reducing environmental impact and supporting green economy jobs.
“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 among the top e-waste producers in Africa, generating 530 million kilograms annually, according to the UN’s Global E-Waste Monitor – equivalent to almost eight kilograms per person. This waste poses significant pollution and health hazards, making Vodacom’s move from linear consumption to a circular economy approach vital.
Circular models focus on waste reduction, resource conservation, and extending product life cycles, minimising resource use and environmental impact.
Through Circular Energy’s takeback scheme, Vodacom will ensure responsible collection and recycling of e-waste, including batteries, lighting, and packaging. This supports compliance with South Africa’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations, requiring producers to manage their products’ end-of-life impact.
“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.
Vodacom’s e-waste circularity initiatives specifically focus on electronic devices. In the last financial year, Vodacom recycled over 1,273 tonnes of network equipment. Establishing essential waste collection systems promotes waste diversion from landfills, supporting South Africa’s green economy by creating opportunities for green entrepreneurship, jobs, and markets in material recycling.
Globally, small IT equipment and electronics represent around 9% of total e-waste. To help reduce this, Vodacom South Africa is participating in Vodafone and WWF’s ‘1 million Phones for the Planet’ campaign, aiming to raise awareness of e-waste and encourage customers to trade in, donate, or recycle their devices.
Through Vodacom’s RedLovesGreen programme, customers can return devices to any of the 37 repair centres for repair, refurbishing, resale, or recycling. As part of its Circular Energy partnership, Vodacom also offers home collection for devices, allowing customers to request pick-up through 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.
