Vodafone’s standard credit card-sized SIM holder reduced by 50% to reduce plastic waste
Image: Vodafone will offer a range of eco-friendly accessories under the label Red Loves Green. Photo: courtesy of Vodafone Group.
UK-based telecommunications company Vodafone has announced plans to reduce all non-essential plastics at retail and in offices by April 2020.
As part of the plan, Vodafone has reduced the size of its standard credit card-sized SIM holder by 50% to reduce plastic waste.
By the end of December 2019, the firm will start offering a range of eco-friendly accessories under the label Red Loves Green.
Planned to be available at retail stores next year, the Red Loves Green product range will also include 100% biodegradable or recyclable phone cases made from reused ocean plastic, charging banks and docks developed using sustainable materials and plastic-free packaging.
Additionally, Vodafone will offer the sustainable Fairphone 3 smartphone across Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain and Ireland markets, as part of the initiative.
As part of a strategic partnership between the two companies, the Fairphone 3 smartphones are planned to be sold with sustainable and reusable packaging.
The packaging for the Fairphone 3 smartphones will be manufactured from responsibly sourced, conflict-free tin and tungsten, recycled copper and plastics, and gold sourced by Fairtrade.
Vodafone’s initiative to cut plastic waste by over 340t a year
Vodafone expects its new strategy to cut its plastic waste by over 340t a year while also eliminating up to 5,000t of the CO₂ annually.
Vodafone External Affairs director Joakim Reiter said: “Halving our environmental impact means not only tackling material issues such as our carbon footprint and e-waste but also taking action in other areas where we have an impact such as the non-essential or disposable plastics we use in our retail stores and offices.
“Building on many of the initiatives launched across Vodafone’s markets, we want a consistent approach everywhere we operate. This begins with the rollout of half-sized SIMs, tackling unnecessary plastics in our offices and offering our customers eco-friendly accessories.”
By 2025, Vodafone aims to reduce its carbon footprint by 50% and purchase all electricity from renewable sources as well as reuse, resell or recycle 100% of its network waste.
Vodafone plans to gradually replace the full-sized cardholders across all its 24 markets.