Reducing the Use of Natural Resources While Closing the Loop with our Own Electronic Waste
Our phones comprise of many materials but primarily comprised of plastic. Plastic has significant benefits: it is durable, low cost, and lightweight. However, amongst our other sustainability and circular economy commitments, Cisco is committed to reducing plastics consumption, improving recycling, and reducing the amount of materials that end up as waste. This is evidenced by our commitment to the circular economy and by our specific, public goals, including our goal to reduce our use of virgin plastic by 20% by 2025.
I am proud to share more detail on three key initiatives that drive a sustainable approach for customers refreshing unified communications devices:
Cisco IP phones and closed loop-plastic
Coming soon, Cisco’s most popular IP phones, the 8800 series, will have models made with 100 percent Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) resin. We’re closing the loop on our plastics by taking old, used Cisco devices, and sourcing the plastic to become part of the feedstock for new Cisco products. This is an exciting first for Cisco! And it will help us avoid the use of more than 3 million pounds of virgin plastic per year.
Cisco Product Takeback and Reuse Program
Our CEO, Chuck Robbins, committed to 100% product return at the World Economic Forum. To support these efforts, we have re-launched our Product Takeback and Reuse program, which provides a simple, secure and sustainable means of returning end-of-use Cisco equipment, along with Cisco acquired company equipment, at no cost. This process drives both financial and environmental benefits by putting valuable assets back in the market through Cisco Refresh. Where the devices are not refurbishable, the raw materials will be harvested and become a stable supply of plastic for our new phones, displacing the need to create new plastic.
Cisco Webex Hardware-as-a-Service
In addition to becoming more environmentally sustainable, we’ve also been innovating in new programs that make it more commercially sustainable to plan IT refresh cycles. With Cisco Webex Hardware as a Service you can get the industry-leading IP phones and video endpoints, you need for an affordable monthly or annual subscription with an initial three-year term. It’s a great way to stay up to date on the latest technology while scaling to meet your business needs. With Webex Hardware as a Service, you get access to calling and collaboration features during the term of your plan and Cisco Base Level Service including Cisco TAC, software center, and maintenance releases. Then, at the end of your term, you can choose to extend your contract another 12-months or take out a new three-year agreement and refresh to new devices.
What’s next?
When it comes time to refresh or buy, new IP phones, not only do they have the great audio quality and the latest features, they’re also secure, cloud-ready and sustainable with easy and affordable ways to buy.
Learn more about our IP phones
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