BT Group teamed with Cisco to launch an electronics recycling programme for business customers’ network equipment, as part of a commitment by the operator to achieve a circular economy.

The programme encourages customers to return used equipment to Cisco in a bid to cut the amount of electronic waste disposed of in landfills.

BT stated up to 99.9 per cent of equipment could be reused or recycled.

Hriday Ravindranath, chief product and digital officer at BT Global, acknowledged electronic waste as “a growing concern” and stated preventing “equipment going to landfill is vital” to a more sustainable world.

BT explained the Cisco deal adds to its current recycling and refurbishing moves, including a programme covering smartphones.

The equipment programme is currently available in the UK, US, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland and Singapore, with more set to be added by the year-end.

BT cited World Economic Forum (WEF) figures showing 57.4 million tonnes of electronic waste was produced in 2021, of which 20 per cent was recycled.

“If left unchecked, this could rise to 120 million tonnes each year”, the operator stated.

In 2021, the operator set itself the goal of shifting to circular products for its networks and operations by 2030, before pushing the approach across its broader supply chain by 2040.