Circularity has long been the language of factories and supply chains, of how physical products are made, used, and remade. But as the world’s connectivity needs expand, circular principles are now finding new relevance in the unseen infrastructure that powers the digital economy.

Every connection, transaction, and service today runs on vast networks of routers, cables, servers, and devices. These assets, like any physical good, consume materials and energy across their lifecycle. By 2030, Gartner projects that 80% of hardware vendors’ product portfolios will be tied to circular initiatives, up from just 20% in 2023.¹

Only 7% of extracted resources are reused or recycled globally, a gap that costs more than US$250 billion annually in waste management and resource inefficiency.² The ICT sector alone contributes significantly to this imbalance.
 

Most organisations replace network and IT devices every two to three years, even though the vast majority recycle less than 10% of that hardware. Manufacturing a single laptop emits roughly 356 kg of CO₂,³ meaning that refresh cycles across thousands of endpoints multiply emissions faster than nature can absorb them. This is the silent cost of a linear network model — network footprint that consumes faster than it regenerates.

Companies that embed circular practices into their operating models are already seeing tangible results:⁴
 

• 15–20% topline growth
• 10–15% material cost savings
• Reduced supply chain and regulatory risks when circularity is embedded in business models 
   

But success depends on integration: companies that treat circularity as a pilot or side project often fail to scale impact. For circularity to deliver sustained impact, it must be anchored in the way organisations plan, operate, and build their people capabilities. Enterprises that take this approach build not just environmental credibility but also resilience in a volatile global supply chain.

Next-generation connectivity is redefining what circularity means for enterprises. Technologies like 5G, virtualisation, and digital twins are helping networks do more with less by extending asset lifecycles, reducing waste, and improving operational efficiency.
 

• 5G for real-time optimisation: Continuous monitoring and predictive maintenance keep assets performing longer while preventing premature replacements.
• Virtualisation for multi-life infrastructure: By decoupling software from hardware, virtualised networks extend the lifespan of servers, switches, and core systems without physical rebuilds.
• Digital twins for resource intelligence: Virtual replicas simulate usage and stress-test equipment to plan upgrades only when necessary — turning replacement cycles into data-driven decisions.
   

At Singtel, circularity is being built into the network itself. In FY2025, Singtel invested S$335 million to improve energy efficiency and network resilience across Singapore and Australia.⁵ Through network virtualisation and the rollout of Singtel 5G+, the usable life of assets is being extended while reliance on physical hardware continues to fall.

Singtel’s initiatives show how digitalisation and sustainability can reinforce each other:
 

• Device recovery and e-waste management: Singtel has committed to retrieving at least 20% of new mobile devices distributed to customers by 2030, with active take-back and recycling programmes. In FY2025, Singtel achieved a 2.5% take-back rate and ran its first large-scale community e-waste collection drive, engaging over 2,000 households in refurbishment and recycling efforts.
• Dematerialisation through digitalisation: With 87% e-billing adoption and the use of eSIMs, Singtel has avoided 640kg of plastic waste since launch — tangible proof that dematerialisation reduces waste while improving user experience.
• Supplier and employee engagement: Circularity extends through the value chain, with Singtel integrating supplier code of conduct updates and responsible procurement policies aligned with GSMA targets. Employee-driven initiatives, such as e-waste drives and recycling programs, reinforce circular culture internally.
   

These initiatives help transform circularity from a downstream sustainability effort into a network-level design principle — one that is built into the architecture of how connectivity operates and evolves.

Circular transformation cannot happen in isolation. The most innovative opportunities in circularity emerge within ecosystems, where organisations and partners share resources, extend product lifecycles, and create new revenue streams.6 In network ecosystems, this could mean shared infrastructure, vendor take-back programs, or cross-industry reuse of components. Such collaboration improves resource efficiency and resilience, strengthening both business continuity and environmental outcomes. A circular network is, at its core, a connected one — resilient, regenerative, and ready for the future.

Discover how your enterprise can make its network future-ready and more sustainable.