BY NDUMBE BELL GASTON IN DOUALA
MTN Cameroon, the number one telecom company in the country has partnered with Ericsson, a world-wide leader in communications technology and services with their recycling partner in Durban, South Africa, to dispose of decommissioned electronic equipment in Cameroon.
Both parties initiated working together this year under the Product Take Back program to minimize the potential environmental impact associated with these type of equipments.
Statistics cited by MTN recently reveals that, this year alone, Ericsson has successfully gathered 53 tons of waste from Cameroon and sent to its recycling partner in South Africa.
These e-wastes, as it is now called, is said to be the fastest growing waste streams and contains substances that could be hazardous if not properly recycled, so, this initiative is said to be part of Ericsson’s global economic policies and activities which falls within their sustainability and corporate responsibility aimed at taking responsibility for environmental impacts of all Ericsson products and services during their lifespan by ensuring that, such materials are treated in an environmentally responsible manner.
The e-waste initiative was introduced to MTN Cameroon as part of Ericsson modernization project with MTN.The project is reported to have involved expanding both of what is technically the core and RAN for MTN Cameroon. It is detailed that it included 3G expansion on the radio side, on 80 sites and LTE expansion on 52 sites.
So far, the program has successfully expedited four 40-foot containers loaded with equipment at MTN Cameroon’s warehouse facilities in Yaounde and then transported by sea to the Ericsson-approved recycling partner in Durban, South Africa.
On this new found relationship, the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Cameroon, Brahma Rudra Shankar declared that; “We believe it is important for us to take accountability in disposing of our old equipment and this was the perfect way to go about it, MTN is committed to delivering on the three sustainability focus areas of creating sustainable economic value, reducing its environmental impact and delivering societal value in a sustainable and ethical manner. This program benefits our customers by helping them reduce their costs and risks associated with disposing electrical equipment, in addition, to reducing our carbon footprint which is a daily commitment for us at MTN Cameroon.>>
On the other hand, the Country Manager of Ericsson Cameroon, Olivier Vandermoten also declared, “At Ericsson, we are committed to supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”