SIM card provider, Workz, has introduced a new biodegradable SIM card to its product range to help mobile network operators reduce their environmental footprint. The SIM card, titled EcoSIM, completely biodegrades at the end of its usable life, either in landfill or compost conditions eliminating its plastic waste.
Workz is recognised as one of the world’s top ten SIM card producers supplying SIMs to mobile network operators (MNOs) in over 70 countries worldwide. EcoSIM is the company’s latest of many sustainable initiatives.
The company, which is ISO 14001 certified for Environmental Management, has reduced the average plastic consumption for each customer by half through modified designs as well as introducing virtual alternatives such as eSIM. It also uses recycled materials for packaging and has optimised its supply chain to reduce emissions, energy use, and unsustainable materials. These changes have led to a significant reduction in the impact to the planet for Workz and its customers, in some cases, leading to a reduction in emissions by over 90%.
In 2019, 5.5 billion SIM cards were produced worldwide. The Covid-19 pandemic saw production reduce in 2020, but tens of thousands of tons of plastic are still needed every year to manufacture the SIM cards the world needs. The sector has made strides in recent years to deal with its high use of plastic. The Workz biodegradable EcoSIM is intended to further this progress.
The Workz EcoSIM is environmentally friendly and made from an oxo-biodegradable plastic that breaks down into tiny pieces and slowly degrades in the presence of oxygen and UV light. Whilst the card also contains a stabiliser to ensure consistent performance over the usable life of the SIM, when placed in a landfill, the degradation process takes 18-30 months and as litter just 4-6 months. This offers a significant improvement when compared to the estimated hundreds of years normal plastics take to decompose. Alternatively, the plastic, which is approved by the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM), can also be safely recycled with other oil-based plastic.
Tor Malmros, Workz CEO
MNOs need planet-safe solutions to achieve their sustainability objectives, as well as to maintain consumers who are more environmentally aware than ever. With EcoSIM and eSIM, we’re delighted to be able to provide more sustainable alternatives to the traditional SIM that can make a real difference for network operators and their environmental footprint.
