BT Group’s e-waste reduction programme will see the company extract over 200 tonnes of copper cable this year. Over 2,000 tonnes of lead batteries will also be recycled.
Its Exchange Clearance Operation (ECO) involves recovering, recycling, and reselling equipment from old telephone exchanges, allowing it to close-down ageing networks. This is expected to save £4m.
BT is working with TXO on re-use and reselling, and N2S on the potential bioleaching its old tech.
Matt Manning, Head of Circular Economy, BT Group, said: “Decommissioning equipment on this scale is a huge task but it’s vital that we to reduce waste and preserve valuable natural resources.
“These programmes are just the beginning, and we have much work to do if we’re to achieve our sustainability goals.”