What is Proximus doing to make its packaging more environmentally friendly?

Last updated on 3-11-2023

We take on a circular approach to make our packaging more environmentally friendly. Creating sustainable packaging is a process that starts with the way devices are designed and transported, while choosing for digital installation guides and thinking about how we handle each component, store the boxes, and ship them to the customer. Last but not least, it's about how we recycle the packaging.

Collaboration with our partners

We have drawn up a circularity charter together with our device suppliers. It's important to confer with one another and set out common goals. This applies, for example, to the choice of materials to make the device, the packaging of cables or the remote control, and transport to our stock.

Device design and transport to stock

When it comes to the Internet Box, for example, we apply the "eco-design" principle to minimize all environmental impacts, among which packaging. Reducing the size of the device means less CO₂ emissions during production and transport, but also a smaller packaging. The carbon footprint of the Internet Box is 30% smaller than that of the b-box 3V+.

Packaging and installation guide creation

The sleeve (slid over the box) is printed in Belgium using vegetable-based inks, and the cardboard comes from responsible sources. Your device is easy to set up thanks to the quick installation guide printed on the sleeve (no more paper in the box). Our complete installation guides are available online.

• Why not print directly on the box?
  Because we produce our boxes in large quantities, and one type of box is used for several devices. Which means more flexibility, lower costs and less waste.
• Why not print on brown paper?
  At this stage, we print on white paper because of the availability of cardboard on the Belgian market, which is more cost-effective, better suited to our needs (quantities), absorbs less ink and is easier to print on.
• Why is the packaging wrapped in plastic?
  In order to protect the sleeve in stock or during transport in the technicians' van. This box also serves as a shipping box, on which the customer's address label is applied. In the event of a return, this ensures that the product is put back into stock as is, with less handling, less use of new cardboard and less waste. We prefer paper packaging for cables, wall-mounting fittings and the remote control, for example.

Optimized packaging size. The smaller the packaging, the smaller the carbon footprint. As a result, the handling of each element is optimized, which allows for more boxes to be stored per pallet and thus, for more packages shipped in a single truck.

Box storage and transport

As mentioned above, commercial packaging is used as a delivery box to the customer. By so doing, we avoid using extra cardboard for transport. This saving is equivalent to 92 football pitches (expressed in square meters).

Recycling and refurbishing

Once the customer is done using the leased devices, we take them back, refurbish them and reassign them to another customer instead of buying new ones. All Internet Boxes, TV Boxes, Wi-Fi Boosters and smartphones are refurbished, which is a great relief for the planet. We reuse as much packaging as possible, for example, for returns.

Finally, we ask our customers to return their devices via bpost and to reuse their used cables/remote controls when swapping a device, for example. And the packaging is also optimized: it is now smaller.

Each step of the process is analyzed in order for the final decision to strike a balance between technology, cost control and ecology to deliver the best customer experience.