Virgin Media O2 reveals Green ambition to double number of refurbished device sales

Virgin Media O2 aims to double the number of customers purchasing refurbished devices and recycling unwanted handsets through O2 Recycle by 2030. 

The ambition forms part of the operator’s Green Transition Plan, a long-term strategy designed to cut carbon emissions and reduce its environmental impact.

The company also plans to expand its device reuse programmes to 30 cities by 2030, building on initiatives such as its partnership with Coventry City Council to ensure unwanted devices are refurbished and redistributed locally.

Virgin Media O2 aims to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 90 per cent and Scope 3 emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. The company said it has already cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 63 per cent compared with its 2020 baseline.

Scope 1 emissions are the direct greenhouse gas emissions released into the atmosphere by sources that an organisation directly owns or controls. Scope 2 emissions are the indirect greenhouse gas emissions generated by the production of energy an organisation purchases, such as electricity, steam, heat, or cooling. Scope 3 emissions are all indirect greenhouse gas emissions that occur in a company’s value chain, excluding indirect emissions from purchased electricity.

The operator is targeting net zero carbon emissions across its entire value chain by the end of 2040. It also plans to source 100 per cent carbon-free energy from UK sources while continuing to improve energy efficiency across its operations.

The Green Transition Plan sets out how the operator will reduce its environmental impact and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change while ensuring customers remain connected.

The plan forms part of Virgin Media O2’s new Responsible Business Plan and underpins the company’s climate and circularity ambitions by taking greater responsibility for the full lifecycle of its operations, from network deployment and operation through to device reuse and recycling.

Virgin Media O2 said it will continue to invest in broadband and mobile infrastructure capable of withstanding the increasing risks posed by extreme weather events.

Circular economy initiatives feature heavily within the strategy. The operator wants every device to “live twice” by extending the life of smartphones, tablets and other connected devices through repair, refurbishment and resale.

The Green Transition Plan is underpinned by 14 transition levers designed to accelerate progress, including working with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions and waste, improving the energy efficiency of customer equipment and increasing the use of carbon-free energy.

Virgin Media O2 said collaboration with government and industry would be essential to achieving its goals, highlighting the need for further decarbonisation of the UK’s electricity grid and a national strategy to support the electrification of commercial vehicle fleets.

Dana Haidan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Virgin Media O2, said: “Our Green Transition Plan is a long-term commitment backed by action across many interconnected areas where we’re working to reach net zero, give technology a second life, and build and operate climate-resilient networks.

“Embedding responsible business into every decision we make is key as we reduce our environmental impact.”

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