The telco giant, along with the Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL), is looking to develop data-driven methods for recovering copper and precious metals from obsolete hardware at Boliden's Rönnskär facility in northern Sweden.
The initiative aims to transform circular e-waste management for telecoms by providing transparency into equipment recycling processes, complete with precise data on reuse rates, recycling methods, and the environmental impact of logistics and operations.
“As recycling becomes more complex, trusted data and traceability are crucial,” said Sophia Fahlen, head of connected recycling at Ericsson. “Our goal is to shift the industry's perspective on waste, viewing it as valuable raw material integral to circular value chains.”
The concept of a circular economy sees businesses try and keep resources in use for as long as possible, minimising waste through reuse, repair, and recycling.
For telcos, a circular economy would see the reuse and recovery of materials found in network equipment or servers. Retired hardware could be stripped down and used for spare parts or even sold second-hand.
Ericsson, Boliden, and IVL are looking at taking circular economy for telcos one step further, using the telco’s Connected Recycling platform to enhance traceability and trading capabilities for end-of-life products and waste materials.
The trio uses the platform to map the value chain to define detailed information on component content, timing, and location of hardware that would have previously just been thrown out.
“Together with Boliden, we clearly demonstrate that digitalisation and connectivity can drive material circularity,” Fahlen added.
RELATED STORIES
Ericsson, SoftBank advance AI-powered RAN with Nvidia
Turning data centre waste heat into a valuable resource
Data: 81% of telcos admit aging infrastructure slowing innovation
