Vodafone Connects Its Customers With Thales’ Eco-SIM Card

Thales to supply Vodafone Group with Eco-SIM; a product whose card body is made out of 100% recycled plastic from refrigerator interiors. Vodafone initially plans to deploy Eco-SIM in ten countries¹ in Europe and Africa.

Over 4.5 billion SIM cards are produced every year², representing 20,000 tons of plastic – the equivalent weight of two Eiffel towers. Developed in partnership with Veolia, the global leader in ecological transformation, the Thales Eco-SIM was launched in 2020 and is made from 100% recycled polystyrene recovered from discarded refrigerators. Offering a second life to the refrigerator interiors, Thales enabled an independent and exclusive green plastic supply flow to Vodafone.

Thales’ carbon offsetting program also ensures its innovative ‘green SIM’ is certified as carbon neutral³. As a result, the new contract will support Vodafone’s far-reaching plans for cutting e-waste, reducing its carbon footprint, and contributing to a circular economy.

“An individual SIM may be tiny, but in total our Eco-SIM manufacturing program will save nearly 5,000 metric tonnes of virgin plastic every year,” said Emmanuel Unguran, VP Mobile & Connectivity Solutions at Thales. “Just like Vodafone, Thales has developed transformative plans for environmental action. This new contract highlights the determination of both companies to recognize their responsibilities to the planet.”

¹ UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, the Netherlands (as VodafoneZiggo), and South Africa.
² ABI Research – September 2020
³ Thales’ Eco-SIM card is a CarbonNeutral® certified product in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol – the global standard for carbon neutral programmes.

Extra resource : Infographics - How eco-friendly SIM card offer can help mobile operators address their sustainable goals