Promotion of a Recycling-oriented Society
Our approach
to a circular economy
The Company positions the promotion of resource circulation as a key management issue and advances waste reduction and resource recovery through the efficient use of limited resources. These efforts not only mitigate environmental impact but also enhance the Company's credibility and competitiveness, leading to long-term value creation.
The Company is committed to reducing, reusing and recycling industrial waste in order to contribute to the realization of a circular economy.
Initiatives for promoting
a circular economy
in business operations
Reduce
The Company strives to reduce paper use in the sale of mobile information devices by making individual packaging boxes smaller, converting instruction manuals and other enclosed documents into applications, and utilizing iPads in its stores.
In addition, to replace conventional paper-based invoices, the Company launched the Online Charges Guide starting with statements issued in October 2006, enabling customers to view electronic billing statements over the Internet using a SoftBank mobile phone or a PC. This service is provided as a basic service to all individual subscribers.
Reuse
The Company efficiently collects and resells mobile phones previously sold or rented to customers. As the domestic and global used smartphone markets have expanded in recent years, the Company will continue to enhance its value-added services in line with increasingly diverse customer needs and respond to market demand.
Recycle
The Company participates in the Mobile Recycle Network (MRN), an industry-wide initiative for collaborative collection, and collects not only mobile phones sold by the Company but also those sold by other companies. Traditionally, telecommunications operators collected and recycled only the mobile phones they sold. However, MRN was established in 2001 as a sustainable framework that prioritizes customer convenience and societal considerations, and it has operated for more than twenty years.
Through these initiatives, the Company collected 2.83 million used mobile phones, totaling 500 tons, for reuse and recycling in FY2025. The Company achieved its initial cumulative target of 14 million units for the period from FY2020 to FY2025 and will continue working to further increase collection volumes.
In addition to mobile phones and other communications devices, the Company also promotes resource recycling for waste materials from telecommunications infrastructure, including cables, switching equipment, and utility poles, when network facilities are upgraded or removed.
Additionally, the Company supports the recycling targets established by GSMA (GSM Association), a global association of telecommunications operators, which aim to collect recycled devices amounting to at least 20 percent of annual new mobile phone sales and to ensure that all collected devices are processed using non-incineration methods. The Company had already achieved the GSMA targets as of March 2026 and will continue to work to maintain recycling performance above the required levels.
Going forward, in order to further increase collection volumes, the Company will continue to raise awareness of its recycling initiatives among business partners and customers, while further strengthening collaboration with MRN and other organizations and enhancing communication related to the reuse and recycling of used mobile phones. The Company also conducted a consumer survey to better understand awareness of mobile phone recycling, willingness to participate in collection programs, and issues related to promoting collection. Going forward, the Company will use the insights gained through such surveys and analyses to promote the reuse and recycling of used mobile phones.
Initiatives for resource circulation in mobile phone services
Tracking of Waste Electrical and
Electronic Equipment Generated from Sold Products
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) generated from sold products is managed using device identification numbers such as IMEI to ensure proper reuse and recycling. All devices collected through the Company's recovery initiatives are either recycled or reused.
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Implementing educational activities to teach about recycling
The Company holds "Risaikuru" environmental classes for children at SoftBank shops across Japan to help them learn the importance of recycling through the experience of disassembling mobile phones. The classes are designed to help children learn about the structure and materials of mobile phones by actually taking them apart and using the disassembled parts to create crafts. In this way, children can develop creativity and gain knowledge about recycling while having fun. More than 3,230 people have participated in these classes from April 2018 to the end of March 2026.
In addition, environmental classes are held at SoftBank shops nationwide, open to all customers regardless of whether they have a contract with the Company.
Value creation model for reducing environmental impact
The Company is advancing resource circulation throughout the value chain as part of its efforts to reduce environmental impact.
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The Company's strengths in the circular economy - Monetization through effective utilization of used resources
- Avoidance of disposal costs
Ensuring and Strengthening - ①Maximizing recycling efforts
- ②Maximizing reuse efforts
Key initiatives - ①Monetization through resale of collected mobile handsets / monetization through resource reutilization of decommissioned base station equipment and used mobile handsets
- ②Monetization through sales of reused products both domestically and internationally
Risks /
opportunitiesRisk - Shrinking new mobile handset sales market
- Outflow of mobile handsets to other companies due to expansion of the reuse market
Opportunities - Increased collection and revenue through expansion of the reused mobile handset market
- Revenue growth from rising prices of scarce minerals and other resources
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The Company's strengths in the circular economy - Improving resource efficiency through optimization of data centers, network centers, and base station facilities
- Sharing base stations with competing operators
- Providing mobile phones through rental and related services
- Diversification of the communication services provided
Ensuring and Strengthening - ①Complete implementation of efficient resource utilization for equipment and strengthening resource conservation
- ②Promoting rental services
- ③Advancing resource-efficient technology services and standalone SIM sales
Key initiatives - ①Energy conservation through EMS implementation at data centers and reduction of chiller operation
- ②Deployment of rental services for corporate mobile devices
- ③Provision of eSIM services
Risks /
opportunitiesRisk - Cost impacts from reduced stability of energy supply and surging energy prices
- Opportunity losses caused by delays in responding to diverse sales channels
Opportunities - Cost reduction through efficient resource utilization
- Revenue growth from expansion of the rental market
- Expansion of standalone e-SIM/SIM sales through inbound and outbound market growth
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The Company's strengths in the circular economy - Use of certified paper that verifies sustainable forest management
- Joining resource circulation organizations
Ensuring and Strengthening - ①Promoting utilization of products with resource conscious labeling
- ②Strengthening partnerships
Key initiatives - ①Utilization rate of PEFC- and FSC-certified paper for internal use (approx. 80%)
- ②Membership in Circular Partners
Risks /
opportunitiesRisk - Reputational risk from using non–resource-conscious materials
- Productivity decline caused by closed internal know-how practices
Opportunities - Acquiring insights through external networks
- Accumulation of circular business knowledge and building competitive advantage
- Enhancement of brand image through use of certified materials
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The Company's strengths in the circular economy - Strengthening employees' know-how and knowledge
- Promoting appropriate disposal, collection, and reuse by departments and employees
Ensuring and Strengthening - ①Providing opportunities for sustainability education
- ②Offering awareness initiatives to encourage proper collection and reuse
Key initiatives - ①Implementation of e-learning (FY24 participation rate: approx.92%)
- ②Establishment of an employee waste disposal desk and provision of procedural manuals
Risks /
opportunitiesRisk - Stagnation of resource recovery and increase in waste due to insufficient educational outreach
Opportunities - Promotion of resource collection and securing profits from sale of valuable materials
- Expansion of new businesses and innovation through increased employee awareness
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The Company's strengths in the circular economy - Collaboration partners in the reuse and recycling business
- Provision of non-plastic-derived products and items utilizing unused resources and waste materials to customers
- Enhancement of environmental and resource utilization awareness among society and customers
Ensuring and Strengthening - ①Identifying and reinforcing relationships with reputable waste disposal contractors
- ②Facilitating mobile device collection at retail locations
- ③Providing awareness opportunities to customers
Key initiatives - ①Conducting vendor audits and selecting reputable waste contractors
- ②In-store device collection and stable recovery through offering the Shin-Toku plan
- ③Conducting the customer environmental education program "Risaiku-ru"
Risks /
opportunitiesRisk - Increased capital costs for providing reuse and recycling services during periods of customer or societal acceptance stagnation
Opportunities - Expansion of business opportunities in the reuse and recycling sector
- Enhancement of the corporate image through the use of nonplastic products and recycled materials, and provision of educational opportunities
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The Company's strengths in the circular economy - Effective utilization of resources through reuse of scarce minerals and similar materials
- Reducing water usage through advanced data center technologies
- Reducing use of plastic-based products and utilizing products made from unused resources and waste materials
Ensuring and Strengthening - ①Promoting the reuse of resources such as scarce minerals through reuse and recycling
- ②Advancing conservation of natural capital such as water
- ③Promoting the use of low environmental-impact materials
Key initiatives - ①Setting materiality KPIs and driving them as company-wide initiatives
- ②Reduction of water usage through advanced data center technologies
- ③Use of certified shopping bags and production/internal use of business cards made from kudzu-based materials
Risks /
opportunitiesRisk - Resource exhaustion of scarce minerals and reputational damage due to stagnation in resource initiatives
- Constraints on water and resource use and business restrictions due to regulations
Opportunities - Stabilizing handset procurement through steady supply of recycled rare metals
- Expanding markets for waste and unused resources, fostering new business creation
Common outputs
| GSMA Targets | Achieve a recovery rate of at least 20% against new handset sales | Achieved 20% or more |
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| Ensure 100% proper processing (zero landfill rate) of recovered handsets | Achieved 100% | |
| Total number of reused and recycled units (FY2020 – 2024) | 15.3 million | |
Common outcomes
Ensuring the sustainability of natural capital and resources to contribute to social, industrial, and economic development.
SDGs12
"Responsible Consumption and Production"
SDGs13
"Climate Actions"
SDGs15
"Life On Land"
Initiatives for resource circulation
in corporate activities (offices, etc.)
The Company places 3R activities, green procurement, and paperless initiatives at the core of its efforts and continuously promotes the effective use of resources and the reduction of environmental impact. The Company also promotes awareness and collaboration among all employees and pursues sustainable office operations through legal compliance and technological innovation.
Implementing 3R activities
in offices
Reduce
| Zero Paper for Internal Operations Declaration | Since April 2012, the Company has promoted its “Zero Paper for Internal Operations Declaration” and has proactively shifted to paperless operations for paper used in both internal and external procedures, as well as for reports, meetings, and other activities. In April 2021, the Company also launched the Digitalization of Stamping Project to further accelerate paperless operations. |
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| Achieving “100% paperless” operations in the customer support center | To eliminate the risk of information leaks arising from printed materials, the Company identified and improved individual operations that had used large volumes of paper, including manuals, memos, and notices, and achieved 100% paperless operations, meaning zero paper usage, in the Customer Support Center, which handles private customer information. As a result, annual paper usage was reduced by 3.12 million sheets, equivalent to 240 logs, compared with previous years. |
Reuse
| Introduction of reusable plastic cups | At the drink corner in the Takeshiba headquarters, the Company has introduced reusable bioplastic cups. Without using petroleum-derived materials, the Company has adopted a highly environmentally friendly material made primarily from biodegradable bioplastics*1 that is dishwasher-safe. After use, the cups can be reprocessed into new products, creating a comprehensive resource circulation system from reuse through recycling. |
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- [Note]
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- *1This plant-derived plastic is produced by chemically synthesizing lactic acid, which is obtained through the fermentation of starch from corn or sugarcane juice. It can ultimately be broken down into water and carbon dioxide by microorganisms.
- *1
Recycle
| Secured recycling boxes for collecting confidential documents | Instead of individually processing unnecessary documents as wastepaper, they are collected in special locked security boxes for collecting confidential documents and batch dissolved at a later date to ensure security and recycling as toilet paper. |
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Appropriate use
of water resources
The Company recognizes that water is essential to its business activities and is also an important resource for the local communities in which its business sites are located. Accordingly, the Company addresses water risk and promotes the efficient use of water resources on a company-wide basis.
The Environment Committee manages water-related risks and provides managerial oversight to ensure both a company-wide response to such risks and the efficient use of water resources.
Reducing energy and paper consumption through
White Work Style
The Company is working to reduce environmental impact through the use of information and communications technology. Through the implementation and proposal of a new way of working called “White Work Style”, work efficiency is improved while the volume of paper and energy consumed in day-to-day business is also reduced.
White Work Style is a service that allows employees to access internal work systems and software simply by connecting to SoftBank's network. Home PCs and personal iPhones and iPads can also be connected to an environment equivalent to the office PC, allowing flexibility in working time and location, such as teleworking from home, when on the move or from outside of the office.
In addition, because computer processing is carried out on network servers rather than on individual computers, power consumption can be reduced. By centralizing these servers at a large-scale data center, operational efficiency can be improved and overall power consumption can be reduced.
According to estimates by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, energy consumption from the use of office automation equipment and lighting can be reduced by 43% through the introduction of telework. Even when energy consumption at home is taken into account, overall energy consumption can still be reduced by 14%. By promoting teleworking, the Company believes that energy consumption across society can be reduced. This is also an important initiative from the standpoint of energy conservation.
Moreover, through the use of iPhones and iPads, documents stored on servers can be accessed as needed. This has made it possible to reduce paper handouts and present information more effectively through video and other digital formats.
