Stockholm, August 20, 2023 – Ericsson, a global technology company, has unveiled a groundbreaking sustainable packaging solution for its Remote Radio products. The initiative, aligned with Ericsson’s sustainability strategy, marks a significant step toward reducing plastic waste in the supply chain and advancing environmental responsibility.
The project, developed by Ericsson’s design team, aims to minimize the environmental footprint of the company’s packaging while maintaining efficiency in production, logistics, and disposal processes. It also aligns with Ericsson’s commitment to achieving Net Zero across its value chain by 2040.
The packaging innovation centers on the transition from conventional oil-based plastics to wood fiber materials for packaging inserts. These inserts are designed to be fully recyclable, significantly reducing the plastic content of the packaging from 20 percent to less than one percent. Moreover, an anti-abrasion coating applied to the wood fiber material eliminates the need for a plastic protective bag, a common component in packaging.
Designing plastic-free packaging for heavy-duty electronic products, such as those weighing between 24-36 kg, required collaboration with suppliers Nefab and DS Smith. The resulting designs maintain the necessary structural integrity to safeguard products during shipping.
Mats Pellbäck Scharp, Head of Sustainability at Ericsson, emphasized the achievement: “The Ericsson design team has shown that it is possible to remove plastics from packaging for complex and heavy telecom gear while maintaining essential product protection.”
Collaboration with key industry players, including Swisscom and Deutsche Telekom, has been integral to this endeavor. Saskia Günther, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Swisscom, highlighted the significance of such partnerships in driving transformation: “Collaboration with key suppliers has a special role to play here, not only to improve our own climate footprint, but also to accelerate the transformation across the ICT industry.”
Melanie Kubin-Hardewig, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Deutsche Telekom, echoed this sentiment: “The collaboration with our technology suppliers on innovative ways of sustainable packaging is therefore an essential next step.”
The new packaging solution not only eliminates plastics and promotes full recyclability, but also boasts a balanced or improved carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) impact compared to existing solutions throughout its lifecycle.
Ericsson anticipates expanding the use of this sustainable packaging solution to more products and customers in the near future. This initiative aligns closely with the company’s broader sustainability strategy and its pledge to achieve Net Zero across its value chain by 2040.
With 99 percent fiber-based materials and 100 percent corrugated inserts, this innovative packaging solution demonstrates Ericsson’s commitment to making environmentally conscious choices while maintaining product quality and security.