Elisa Viihde recycles remote controls
September 13, 2024
Elisa Viihde is giving remote controls a second life by reusing materials in manufacturing new remote controls
Recycling Elisa Viihde remote controls to create new ones significantly reduces their carbon footprint. This year, already 70 per cent of new remote controls for Elisa Viihde Premium set-top boxes have been manufactured using cleaned components from devices that were returned by customers to Elisa.
A significant part of the ICT industry’s environmental impact comes from the manufacture of equipment and devices, which utilises substantial amounts of critical raw materials, water and energy. To address this issue, industry must focus on resource-efficient manufacturing and recycling. Elisa is committed to these principles as part of the UN Global Compact, and we are determined to do our part in mitigating climate change.
“Sustainability is an integral part of our strategy, and we have set ambitious climate and circularity targets. We continuously take concrete measures to achieve these goals and reduce the environmental impact of our operations. These actions have earned Elisa recognition as the best Finnish company in this area and the 66th most sustainable company in the world, according to Time Magazine and Statista’s World’s Most Sustainable Companies Top 500 list,” said Minna Kröger, Elisa’s Vice President for Sustainability.
As a service provider, Elisa can have a positive impact on waste and circularity by promoting the reuse, refurbishment and recycling of equipment in an efficient and appropriate manner.
“For example, Elisa Viihde’s customers return all set-top boxes and remote controls to Elisa once the agreement has ended. The returned remote controls are returned to Austria, where they are dismantled and, after thorough cleaning, used as parts for new Elisa Viihde remote controls,” said Senior Development Manager Katja Saloranta from Elisa.
Elisa and the Austrian manufacturer of remote controls ruwido have been cooperating for more than five years.
“From the beginning, ruwido and Elisa have had a similar vision and direction on how to make the circular economy a reality. In addition to reducing the environmental impact, reusing materials is also profitable from a business perspective. The purchasing costs are lower than for a comparable new remote control,” continued Saloranta.
More than 70 per cent of the Elisa premium remote controls shipped by ruwido in 2024 to Elisa are remotes that were given a second life. It is possible to reuse 75–80 per cent of plastic, PCB and electronic components.
“Only when remote controls are initially built from high-quality raw materials can their functional parts be reused. A remote control that was given a second life looks and feels like a brand new one, but with a tremendous reduction in carbon footprint. we believe that even the smallest changes can make a significant impact – they show the mindset needed for real progress. craftsmanship for abetter world is a direction we follow, having the whole production in Austria, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy for more than 10 years. All of our Europe-manufactured remotes come with a unique feature: a clean conscience,” added Ferdinand Maier, owner and CEO of ruwido.