A joint study by Oxford Saïd Business School, BIP UK, and Vantage Towers claims circular design in tower infrastructure could unlock up to €30 million in annual value and avoid 25,000 tonnes of CO₂.
The argument goes most of the industry’s “circularity focus” to date has been about reusing network components like antennas or electronics, but most of the embodied CO₂ and “the greatest commercial opportunity”, lies in tower structures and foundations. Steel and concrete in towers account for more than 40% of the telco sector’s embedded emissions, claims the report.
Many towers are removed before reaching their full technical lifespan, often due to changes in landlords, site ownership, or evolving network demand, and this leads to lost value and higher material dependency, we’re told. Setting up circular design principles early means operators get resale value, avoid procurement costs, and improve material recovery, apparently.
