Document :

ITU-D SG02 RAPPORTEUR GROUP MEETING  Contribution  43

Title :

Establishing a public-private partnership for the circular management of decommissioned telecommunication network and data centre waste equipment

Date :

2026-08-21

Source :

Korea (Rep. of)

AI/Question :

Q2/2

Meeting :

2026-10-07

Access :

Restricted to TIES users [ITU-D]

Abstract :

This contribution presents the Republic of Korea's public-private partnership (PPP) model and pilot project model and policy initiative for establishing a circular economy framework for waste equipment originating from digital infrastructure, specifically telecommunication networks and data centres.
Despite their high concentrations of critical minerals, decommissioned digital infrastructure equipment has not traditionally been subject to a dedicated resource-circulation framework comparable to that applied to consumer electronic appliances. This governance gap has contributed to the overseas outflow of strategic resources, increased carbon emissions associated with cross-border transport, and reduced visibility over downstream recycling processes.
In response, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE) of the Republic of Korea, in collaboration with the nation's three major mobile network operators (MNOs), executed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish an end-to-end monitoring system, quantify resource recovery and carbon reduction impacts, formulate tailored circularity guidelines, and institute evaluation criteria for certifying compliant recyclers. This paper outlines Korea's national-level cooperative framework and highlights policy implications for advancing circularity in telecommunication waste equipment.