Due to the technology-related nature of our operations, electro-waste is an important area for us. At Cyfrowy Polsat and Polkomtel, that is in the companies which introduce big numbers of STB’s, mobile phones, modems, antennas and other devices to the market every year, we try to make sure that as much of that equipment as possible is recycled. It is not only a way of reducing the volume of electro-waste but above all a method of reducing the negative impact that old devices have on the environment. At the same time recycling enables recovery of many valuable and rare metals for the industry.
Waste and recycling
According to the calculations made by GoRepair, an average smartphone contains 8.75 g of copper, 8.31 g of cobalt and 0.25 g of silver. A mobile phone also contains gold – 0.024 g, which means that by recycling 45 devices one can get 1 gram of gold. The average value of all the elements (precious metals) that one handset contains is as much as PLN 8.
| Item | Total weight of safe and hazardous waste, depending on the procedure adopted | Non-hazardous waste | |||
| Cyfrowy Polsat | Polkomtel | TV Polsat | TOTAL | ||
| 1 | Recycling | 551.7 | 0 | 9.5 | 561.2 |
| 2 | Salvaging (including recovery of energy) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Other | 0 | 11.0 | 0 | 11.0 |
| TOTAL | 551.7 | 11.0 | 9.5 | 572.2 | |
| Item | Total weight of safe and hazardous waste, depending on the procedure adopted | Non-hazardous waste | |||
| Cyfrowy Polsat | Polkomtel | TV Polsat | TOTAL | ||
| 1 | Recycling | 616.6 | 0 | 4.3 | 620.9 |
| 2 | Salvaging (including recovery of energy) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Other | 0 | 78.8 | 0 | 78.8 |
| TOTAL | 616.6 | 78.8 | 4.3 | 699.7 | |
Polkomtel has for many years been consistently encouraging its customers to adopt a pro-ecological attitude. At the company’s stationary points of sale one can deposit the waste equipment (handsets, accessories, etc.) which will be later on subjected, free-of-charge, to recycling. Special containers are also available where waste accessories can be dropped. In total, in 2017 we supplied over 11.9 tons of waste electronic equipment for recycling.
Our strategic clients – the big companies with whom Polkomtel has long-term cooperation – are offered assistance in disposing of their electronic equipment. At clients’ requests we arrange both, the process of handing the equipment over to a recycling company as well as monitoring of execution of the waste disposal process.
Polkomtel fulfills its statutory duties in the field of recycling and recovery of raw materials and carries out the educational campaigns for the public thanks to the cooperation with specialized organizations. In 2017 Polkomtel introduced on the market 450 tons of packaging and other waste related to electrical and electronic equipment, out of which recycling organizations recovered 22.5 tons while 7.3 tons were recycled.
Cyfrowy Polsat cooperates, on continuous basis, with the companies who collect and recycle all sorts of waste generated by the company. In 2017 Cyfrowy Polsat supplied nearly 617 tons of waste (552 tons in 2016) for recycling to specialized recycling firms, with more than half of this amount being electro-waste, while the waste related to packaging materials accounted for nearly 35% of the total volume (40% in 2016).
BEST PRACTICE IN CYFROWY POLSAT
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All electro-waste generated by the staff who repairs customers’ devices, as well as the company’s equipment intended for liquidation, is handed-over to specialized recycling firms. In 2017 over 375 tons of waste, consisting of electrical and electronic devices, were delivered to specialized recycling plants, with the respective amount for 2016 being 300 tons.
Also every Cyfrowy Polsat set-top box we deliver to our customers is “ecological” – the specification of these devices always complies with the valid norms, while power consumption in standby mode does not exceed 1W. We take care that the equipment is re-used – the devices are loaned to clients for a specific period of time and once they are returned and refurbished they go back to the market again.
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The documents intended for recycling are shredded with the use of a heavy duty shredder. The shredder grinds the material in line with DIN norm (security level III) while the output is successively conveyed as paper waste for recycling to a company which has a relevant contract with Cyfrowy Polsat.
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The waste we produce, i.e. paper, plastics, Styrofoam, is carefully segregated by us. There are five big, clearly marked containers for collecting waste at our company location, and in addition we purchased the equipment which enables flattening of cardboard. Thanks to this more cardboard can be loaded onto trucks while waste containers with paper do not have to be emptied so often. The activities that we have undertaken enabled us to supply nearly 212 tons of cardboard and paper as well as 6 tons of plastic film and Styrofoam for recycling in 2017. A year earlier we supplied nearly 200 tons of cardboard and paper as well as 11.5 tons of plastic film and Styrofoam for recycling.
Due to the profile of the operations of Polsat TV, ecological activities are predominantly associated with care for proper and efficient disposal of waste. All waste is transferred to specialized companies and recycled outside the company headquarters.
In 2017 Polsat TV supplied the following amounts of waste to recycling:
- 150 kg of toner cartridges,
- 3 427 kg of data carriers,
- 1 246 kg electronic equipment,
- 750 kg paper.
ECOLOGICAL SET-TOP BOXES FROM INTERPHONE SERVICE
Our InterPhone Service STB factory is equipped with modern machinery and employs exceptional and professional staff at all positions. During nearly 11 years of operations, around 8.1 million STBs rolled out of the factory, including the EVOBOX PVR which won the SAT Kurier Awards 2016 award for the best dedicated set-top box. The device is distinguished by its multi-functionality. EVOBOX is not only a satellite TV set-top box but also a device which can be used for showing photos from holiday trips, using the radio or video on-line services.
Location of the factory – in EURO-PARK MIELEC Special Economic Zone – guarantees that the factory has no harmful influence on any valuable natural areas. It is also our intention that once the equipment we manufacture leaves our factory, it will have as little impact on natural environment as possible. That is why we strive to make sure that the packaging for all the devices we manufacture comes from recycling. In addition, while bearing in mind organizational efficiency, costs and protection of natural environment, we take care that the trucks and vans which transport the equipment and other materials to the sales network are loaded in an optimum way, which helps reduce CO2 emission.
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