Zero waste

Waste can end up in landfill, taking up space and giving off greenhouse gasses like methane. Less waste means we can do more for our customers and make better use of our natural resources. That's why our ambition is to be a zero waste company by 2016.

To achieve this we are:

• Tracking the amount and types of materials that we currently send to landfill, recycle and reuse
• Reducing the amount of paper, plastics, metals and other materials used across our business
• Switching to materials that can be easily recycled or that are biodegradable
• Finding ways to recycle or reuse materials at the end of their life
• Working with our suppliers, other companies and the government to find new ways of doing things
• Disposing of certain hazardous materials - such as asbestos - in accordance with Australian environmental regulations

So how are we tracking?

Office waste

In 2010 we moved into a new head office at 40 Mount Street, North Sydney - the first office building in NSW to achieve the 6 Star Green Star Office Design and As Built rating. Every month, office recycling means over 90% of our waste is diverted from landfill.

Electronic waste

We’re a founding member of Mobile Muster, the Australian mobile industry’s official mobile phone recycling program. In 2011-12 over 11,000 kilos of e-Waste was recycled via Vodafone stores, offices and service centres. That’s equivalent to 42,000 phones. It’s easy to recycle your old phone, find out how here.

Vodafone Group also works to address electronic waste issues internationally as part of the Global eSustainability Initiative’s e-Waste Working Group.

Packaging

We’ve also made a commitment to make our packaging more sustainable though our membership of the Australian Packaging Covenant.

In 2011 we redesigned our SIM card packaging so it’s much smaller. Compared to our old packaging, the new format saves 50 tonnes of paper. We’re also recycling 14 tonnes of plastic before it even reaches our customers.

They may be small, but when you consider the millions of SIM cards that get produced each year it all adds up! Our SIM card packaging is now printed on FSC certified paper, sourced from sustainably managed forests. You can find out more here.

Paperless billing

When you sign up to a Vodafone Plan, the default method of bill delivery is paperless. This means you receive your bill electronically via email. You can also login to My Vodafone anytime to see your current and previous bills.