Waste and circularity benchmarks for telecoms operators
20 August 2025 | Research and Insights
Grace Langham | Simon Sherrington
Survey report | PPTX and PDF (11 slides) | Sustainable Networks
"Most operators anticipate their recycling rates to decline, despite talking a lot about circularity. Addressing this problem will require industry-wide co-ordination."
The results of Analysys Mason’s confidential survey of 31 network operators, including respondents from all regions of the world, reveal that limited infrastructure for recycling and repurposing waste is a major barrier to operators’ waste and e-waste reduction goals. Operators plan to explore hardware-as-a-service business models and partnerships with waste recycling companies to mitigate these challenges.
This report provides a range of unique waste and circularity benchmarks and insights derived from a confidential survey undertaken by Analysys Mason, including:
- total waste production (hazardous and non-hazardous waste)
- expected change in waste production
- breakdown of waste production by component
- total waste recycled, reused, repurposed and sent to landfill
- barriers to waste reduction goals
- barriers to e-waste reduction
- intended strategies for waste management.
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Authors
Grace Langham
Senior Analyst, expert in sustainability and ESG
Simon Sherrington
Research Director, expert in fibre infrastructure and sustainabilityRelated items
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