In today’s digital world, electronic waste is one of the most rapidly growing waste streams, including everything from smartphones and computers to household appliances and industrial machinery. In fact, 62 million metric tons of e-waste was generated globally in 2022 according to Statista – a number that has almost doubled since 2010.
E-waste is a growing global challenge that needs to be addressed by businesses and consumers alike. It not only poses significant risks to the environment, but also to our health.
Hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium can filter into soil and water, causing widespread contamination and adverse health effects in both humans and wildlife. Inadequate disposal practices can also release toxic substances into the atmosphere, further contributing to air pollution.
There is an opportunity in recycling valuable hardware, enhancing operational efficiencies, and boosting sustainability to reduce CO2 emissions on a global scale.
Telxius is committed to environmental responsibility and building a greener future with sustainable connectivity. Reducing e-wate and promoting the circular economy is well aligned with these values while minimizing any negative impacts on our planet.
E-waste was a challenge being faced by Telxius. The company buys network equipment from a wide variety of suppliers worldwide, including Juniper. After network upgrades, equipment that is no longer needed represents a challenge. Over time, Juniper found that a lot of customers were throwing away ICT equipment such as network routers, each time they underwent network upgrades. These routers were often still functioning, but no longer needed. Even older routers still contained valuable components that could be re-used, but many customers were unaware of this opportunity.
Telxius needed to minimize its global e-waste footprint to uphold its positive impact from connecting customers worldwide, without compromising on environmental goals and was still looking for the best disposal method for its Juniper network routers, after they were no longer required in the Telxius IP network. Not wanting to have a negative impact on the environment, Telxius kept a lot of old routers in storage, while exploring different recycling options.
This storage was becoming expensive and using up funds that could otherwise be re-invested into other sustainability initiatives. Moreover, many recycling options required long travel times to bespoke facilities, which would come with further environmental issues due to emissions.
Through Juniper’s Certified Pre-Owned initiative, the company collects equipment from Telxius when it needs to be replaced. It uses courier services and Juniper recycling facilities located as close as possible to Telxius’ premises to minimize travel times and environmental impact. The equipment is then refurbished and prepared for reuse. To date, as a result of this initiative, Juniper estimates that 129,104 kg of CO2 emissions have been saved.
For Telxius, the initiative enhances operational efficiency thanks to removing the time and money spent on old equipment management, retirement and storage. By reducing environmental footprint and CO2 emissions, Telxius can accelerate its goal of zero net emissions by 2040 and continue to invest in wider ESG initiatives to create a sustainable future for its business and customers alike.
Looking ahead, collaboration between Telxius and vendors will play a key role in building a future where global connectivity and sustainability go hand in hand. Telxius appreciates Juniper’s initiative in this respect.
The Telxius network includes 100,000+ km of subsea and terrestrial fiber, almost 100 PoPs in 17 countries, plus 27 data centers across the Americas and Europe. Telxius provides a wide range of capacity, colocation and security services, as well as direct internet connectivity through its Tier-1 IP network. With this initiative Telxius will continue to provide superior connectivity services to businesses worldwide, always committed to sustainability.
We are helping to make the circular economy a reality and setting a new benchmark for sustainable networking in our industry.