OTTAWA — Nokia announced today a new agreement with Ontario-based Greener Acres Canada to turn electronic waste into smart city green poles that will replace traditional utility poles.
Using the almost 50,000 tons of recycled e-waste collected annually in Ontario, Greener Acres plans to use special manufacturing techniques to produce up to 1,000 smart city green poles per day, says Nokia’s press release.
Under the agreement, Nokia and Greener Acres will work together to develop and upgrade Canada’s utility pole infrastructure to smart, green poles that can power smart cities and broadband communications. According to the release, each year Canada replaces an estimated four million utility poles across the country.
Nokia will use the new smart pole infrastructure to deploy smart city services, including high-speed broadband connectivity, says the release.
“For many Nokia employees, we call Canada home — and we’re excited to be part of the solution for recycling e-waste that would previously fill up landfills into these next-generation smart green poles that will bring high-speed Internet to even more people and power new city services. Collaborating with Greener Acres aligns with our history of innovation at our R&D facilities in Ottawa and our corporate commitment to sustainability,” said Shawn Sparling, head of enterprise and public sector at Nokia Canada, in the release.
“While we are a small Ontario-based business, we have big plans to change the status quo on e-waste — turning ‘waste’ into our smart green poles. Due to its strong presence in Ontario and as a leader in connecting the world, Nokia is the right partner as we embark on this endeavour to eliminate waste by diverting it from landfill, supporting the circular economy while enabling cities across Canada to become smart cities and towns,” said Meni Mancini, president and director of Greener Acres Canada.
