The 3 Rs: How We Reduce, Recycle & Reuse

Did You Know?

1. Every year between 20 and 50 million metric tons of e-waste are disposed worldwide every year.
2. Just 12.5% of e-waste is currently recycled.
3. Between 80% and 85% of electronic products are discarded in landfills or incinerators, which can release toxic chemicals into the air.

Closing the Green Circle

If Huawei equipment can help the environment by promoting solar energy and allowing photovoltaic cells to be up to 4% more efficient, we believe that reusing and recycling materials is just as important and something that every company in every vertical should be doing.

As a signatory of the Sustainable Development Goals, Huawei applies a reverse logistics process in Brazil for recycling materials.

Between 2017 and March 2019, we recycled more than 850 tons of equipment. In partnership with Reciclo Group, we recycle our materials in Sorocaba, São Paulo, where Huawei’s factory is located. Our main focus is on e-waste, which we separate and divert to different destinations. Basic materials such as metals, wood, and plastic are sent to recycling companies and partners, and then homologated by Reciclo. Electronic boards and other complex components are destined for export to countries with greater know-how about separating precious metals like gold, silver, palladium and copper, which are used in electronic devices.

Of the 850 tons we recycled between 2017 and 2019, the top 3 materials were:

1. Electronics (42 tons or 5% of the total recycled)
2. Cables (37 tons, or 4%)
3. Lead batteries (37 tons, or 4%)

Under a circular economy model, all resources can be reused. The goal is to maximize product value and reduce resource consumption and waste, as well as impact on the environment. We use the latest technologies to drive efficiency in the use of raw materials.

Reciclo Inteligência Ambiental aims to promote the value of recycling globally. And changing the perception of recycling in society is based on the concept of the circular economy, because natural resources are scarce and must be managed in an intelligent way. In this sense, Huawei Brazil has been acting proactively by incorporating Reverse Logistics into its business strategy in partnership with Reciclo.

Digital Waste Management Solution

As well as recycling, our solutions also play a role in promoting a sustainable future – Reciclo Group manages its waste flow on Huawei’s digital platform. According to Reciclo Group CEO Marcus William Oliveira, the platform enables environmental compliance and ensures the immediate availability of data.

The private sector plays an essential role in environmental protection as a major holder of economic power, a driver of innovation and technology, and an influencer and enabler of governments, suppliers, employees and consumers.

Huawei is committed to protecting the environment. As part of our Global Green Recycling Program, we run 705 recycling stations in 36 countries and regions around the world for processing cell phones, tablets, and other discarded electronics.

We are committed to the UN’s Global Compact for Sustainable Development Goals and in Brazil and we are making great headway with Goal 15: protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of the terrestrial ecosystem.

Make sure you subscribe to the blog to find out about our 2018 Corporate Sustainable Development Report, which will be released later this month.

And let us know what you think in the comments below. Are companies doing enough to protect the planet?

Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions expressed in this post by individual authors or contributors are their personal views and/or opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views and/or opinions of Huawei Technologies.