How Telefónica Is Embedding Circularity Across Its Networks

With telco networks quietly expanding to carry ever heavier digital workloads, the question of what happens to yesterday’s hardware is becoming harder to ignore.

The answer for Telefónica is circularity, which is engrained in every business objective from customer routers to core network infrastructure.

The operator says it has reused or recycled 95% of the waste generated across its business by 2025, marking a significant milestone on its journey towards its Zero Waste target by 2030.

Notably for the telco sector, much of that progress has come through the recovery and reuse of network equipment and connected devices instead of simply recycling materials at the end of their life.

In total, Telefónica managed more than four million devices from customers, operations and offices under reuse and recycling programmes during 2025.

Of all electronic devices collected, 75% were reused while the remaining 25% were recycled.

The figure includes around three million routers and set-top boxes that were returned, processed and either redeployed or recycled.

Extending the lifespan of equipment offers an alternative to continually manufacturing and deploying new hardware.

Telefónica says the approach helps reduce resource consumption while avoiding the emissions associated with producing replacement devices.

Circularity moves into network operations

The company's progress is particularly visible within its network estate.

By 2025, Telefónica had reused more than 780,000 units of network equipment, helping it fulfil an industry commitment championed by the GSMA to ensure that all collected equipment is either reused or recycled.

Maya Ormazabal, Global Director of Sustainability at Telefónica, says: “The circular economy is a priority pillar in our sustainability strategy and a key driver for advancing toward a more efficient, innovative and competitive company.

“Through this approach, we contribute to a more responsible use of resources and the reduction of environmental impacts associated with technological activity, aligning with our purpose of facilitating more sustainable access to digital capabilities for society.” 

To support that strategy, Telefónica says it prioritises reuse wherever possible and only turns to recycling when equipment can no longer be redeployed.

Circular economy criteria are also being incorporated into technical and investment decisions across the business.

Extending device lifecycles

Consumer devices form another major part of the programme.

Telefónica reports collecting nearly 95 tonnes of mobile handsets and reusing more than 357,000 devices.

Overall, the company collected the equivalent of 15% of all devices it distributed and achieved a 100% reuse or recycling rate for recovered handsets.

Device recovery schemes offer a way to engage customers directly in sustainability efforts, encouraging returns of unwanted devices rather than allowing them to remain unused or enter unmanaged waste streams.

Suppliers shape the next phase

Telefónica's circular economy ambitions extend beyond its own operations and into its supply chain.

The company says it is working closely with suppliers to embed circular principles into equipment procurement, including considerations around durability, repairability and recyclability at the design stage.

That collaboration has already influenced the development of products including the FTTR solution and the Movistar WiFi 7 router.

According to Telefónica, the router incorporates energy-efficiency features and is manufactured using 70% recycled materials, while its packaging is made from FSC-certified recycled materials.

The sustainability profile of telco equipment is becoming a more prominent factor in purchasing decisions as operators continue modernising networks.

Telefónica's latest figures suggest that circularity is moving beyond environmental reporting and becoming an operational consideration that influences how networks are built and maintained.