Eco-SIM cuts plastic waste by 50%

Etisalat Nigeria said the recent introduction of its Eco-SIM has cut amount of the plastic waste hitherto used for the production of traditional Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards by 50 per cent.

The chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steven Evans made this disclosure at a one-day workshop for journalists on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the Lagos Business School.

Evans in a paper presentation entitled ‘A Holistic and Sustainable CSR Strategy’ said that the Eco-SIM initiative by the mobile company is an innovative climate module for protecting SIM packs.

He explained that Etisalat’s Eco-SIM is manufactured with 50 per cent less plastic, stressing that the environmental footprint of this new SIM card is one half of that generated by the classic SIM card.

“… From 16g of carbon dioxide (CO2) to 8g CO2 generated per card,” he said, adding that this came about because the new format uses half the quantity of plastic for production, thus reducing waste generation.

Evans also noted that the customers received the new SIM cards in an environmentally-friendly envelope, which is made of natural, non-treated, non-bleached fibers, a paper window, aqueous ink and glue without solvent.

While, he disclosed that the paper used for the letter accompanying the card is made of 100 per cent recycled fibers and is printed with vegetable-based inks.

As said by him, Etisalat’s CSR strategy is a bottom-up and top-down approach that empowers the various socio-economic groups employing phased philanthropic, stakeholder and strategic approaches while focusing on sustainability and maximum impact.

Etisalat strategy, he said, would be constantly enhanced, especially on the elements of sustainability and impact as the company develops innovative initiative.

“When the right approaches and initiatives are employed, then CSR becomes more than just a cost, burden or charitable deed,” he asserted, adding that CSR is a practical and responsible way of doing business and when it is practiced correctly, sustainability could be achieved.

Defining CSR, Evans said that it’s to some extent socio-culturally specific to indigenous companies across the country had attributed the meaning of CSR to charity.

CSR, he said, could come in about four approaches, namely shareholder centric, stakeholders centric, strategic, and philanthropic.

Highlighting the fact that shareholder centric as far as CRS is concerned, is the only social responsibility of business is to increase its profit, with another school of thought saying that it could be seen as supporting business accountability to other varied interest, which may affect shareholders’ operation, stakeholders, employees, customers and government.

Some of the Etisalat’s partners on CSR initiatives in the country consist of Pan African University, Lagos State Government, non-governmental organization and British Council among others.

Remmy Nweke
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