Virgin Media O2 reuse programme avoids 5,300 tonnes of emissions
August 11, 2026 11.00 Europe/London By Julian Clover


Virgin Media O2 and TXO say their network equipment reuse programme has avoided an estimated 5,262 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions over ten years.

Most of the reduction, calculated at 4,575 tonnes, came from recovering and refurbishing switches, routers, line cards and other network assets before returning them to the telecoms market.

A further 687 tonnes was attributed to Virgin Media O2 purchasing replacement equipment from the secondary market instead of buying newly manufactured hardware.

The companies used TXO’s Carbon Calculator, developed with climate consultancy the Carbon Trust, to estimate the emissions avoided through equipment recovery, procurement, decommissioning and lifecycle management.

More than 690 tonnes of end-of-life equipment has also been recycled during the programme. The materials included cables, power units, routers, switches and processor boards, with steel, aluminium and copper representing almost 60% of the recycled weight.

Some of the equipment is processed at TXO’s facility in South Wales, allowing recovered metals to remain within the UK supply chain.

“We want to extend the life of our network hardware so it can be reused, given a second life or disposed of sustainably,” said Paul Franey, head of reverse logistics at Virgin Media O2.

“The results of this programme demonstrate how a more circular approach to technology can benefit both the business and the environment.”

The programme forms part of Virgin Media O2’s Responsible Business Plan, under which the operator is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by the end of 2040.