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In an effort to tackle plastic waste pollution, <a href="http://mtn.co.za/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MTN South Africa</a> has launched its biodegradable Sim cards – which can degrade within three to six months after being disposed of. With an estimated 180 million Sim cards produced yearly in the country, many of these cards become waste and discarded in landfill sites.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Lots of the Sim cards are also only used for a short time, usually in a bid to take advantage of a specific deal, pricing, or special offers before being discarded into the environment. With biodegradable cards, plastic waste pollution can be alleviated. 
In a statement on Tuesday, MTN said the newly produced Sim cards are certified to promote environmental conservation.&nbsp; 
“The raw materials used in the production of the Sim cards are 100% FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified, meaning they come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits,” the company said. FSC is a global organization focused on promoting responsible forest management. 
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“Unlike traditional plastic Sim cards, which do not decompose, the MTN biodegradable Sim cards will degrade within three to six months when placed in a landfill, the soil, or the sea,” the company added. 
MTN pointed out that eco-friendly SIM cards also ensure the same network connectivity, speeds, and security as plastic cards. “From this month, we will start distributing these Sim cards to MTN stores and partners across the country,” said Wanda Matandela – MTN South Africa’s Chief Commercial Operations Officer. 
<h4 id="plastic-sim-cards-posing-environmental-hazards" class="wp-block-heading">Plastic Sim cards posing environmental hazards</h4> 
Last month, it was reported that South Africa’s telecoms such as <a href="https://www.telkom.co.za/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Telkom</a>, MTN, <a href="http://vodacom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vodacom</a>, and <a href="https://www.telkom.co.za/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell C</a> produced over 180 million Sim cards, which is three times the country’s population. Customers often switch from one mobile network provider to another in a bid to enjoy diverse advantages of pricing and special offers. Many of these cards end up as e-waste thereby posing environmental pollution. 
Consumers frequently change Sims due to rotation among the different networks, depending on which network they consider is offering the best value at the time. This leads to “dormant” Sims, which eventually get disconnected after a few months. 
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 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1200" height="576" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/sim-cards-hazards.jpg" alt="Plastic Sim cards posing environmental hazards" class="wp-image-241031" style="width: 100%;height:auto">
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Moreover, Plastic Sim cards contribute to e-waste in a variety of ways. The materials that make up a Sim card include plastic, metals such as copper and gold, and silicon which are non-biodegradable. This implies that the disposing of Sim cards via landfill sites is not sustainable as the Sims don’t break down naturally in the environment.&nbsp; 
In addition, despite their relatively small size, Sim cards contain trace amounts of toxic substances that can seep into the soil and contaminate water.&nbsp; 
To combat this, South African mobile operators have all reduced the size of their Sim cards in a way to reduce waste. Modern Sims can be cut into different sizes such as micro and nano Sim sizes. A potential risk of this is that the unused portion of the Sim is usually disposed of immediately after opening.&nbsp; 
A Telkom spokesperson said that the company has been making an effort to cut down its Sim card production in proportion to its market size. “We procure Sim cards relative to our market share based on sales forecasts, subscriber growth year on year, and the number of Sims registered via Rica and activated within the prepaid space. 
Among other initiatives, the Sim packaging is biodegradable, and we have reduced the Sim card size by half. All returned/unusable Sim cards are scrapped and destroyed in an environmentally friendly manner,” the spokesperson said. 
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 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="763" height="366" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1.jpg" alt="NIN-SIM Linkage: Telcos to bar outgoing calls on unlinked lines from today" class="wp-image-23787" style="width: 100%;height:auto" srcset="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1.jpg 763w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1-300x144.jpg 300w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1-640x307.jpg 640w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1-380x182.jpg 380w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1-550x264.jpg 550w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1-760x365.jpg 760w, https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/prepaid-sim-cards-700x336.v1-600x288.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px">
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Also, a Cell C spokesman while conversing with TechCentral said that the mobile operator is making efforts to orient customers on keeping unused cards instead of discarding them. 
“Many customers retain the Sim casing for reference purposes as it displays important details like the call center number, USSD strings, and the phone number. We also offer raw Sims that are not packaged into flow wraps to reduce the packaging,” the spokesperson added. 
MTN and Vodacom said that plans have been made for customers to dispose of their Sim waste in environmentally friendly ways. They added that the wastes will be picked up from the comfort of their own home. 
“Through Vodacom’s Redlovesgreen programs, Vodacom encourages customers to adopt sustainable practices and to recycle responsibly. We have partnerships to promote public awareness of recycling points nationwide,” said Vodacom.&nbsp; 
<h4 id="esims-a-permanent-solution" class="wp-block-heading">eSims – a permanent solution?</h4> 
eSims (Embedded Sims) are a digital form of Sim cards that might permanently solve the environmental risks associated with physical Sim cards. 
According to Telkom, it has around 90,000 of its 20.4 million subscribers using eSims. Meanwhile, Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C did not disclose how many eSim customers they each have on their networks.&nbsp; 
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 <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2200" height="1650" src="https://technext24.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/eSim.jpeg" alt="Evolution of eSim" class="wp-image-241032" style="width: 100%;height:auto">
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 An eSim card on display 
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However, the adoption of eSim in South Africa is plagued by device penetration as the feature is only available on newer and more expensive devices. 
Cell C confirmed that the adoption of eSim has been disadvantaged by the mass use of basic smartphones that are not eSim-featured. “While we’re seeing significant eSim uptake in our branded stores and contract markets, the mass market relies heavily on feature phones and basic smartphones, which aren’t yet eSim compatible,” said Cell C’s spokesman 
Also Read: <a href="https://technext24.com/2024/12/02/gtbank-mtn-fccpc-poor-service-delivery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FCCPC to investigate GTBank, MTN over widespread complaint of poor service delivery.</a>

MTN rolls out biodegradable Sim cards to tackle plastic waste pollution

Technext.ng

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