M1 launches new eco-friendly 5G SIM card made from recycled materials

The size of the new SIM card holder will also be halved, reducing the plastic used.

Zoe Ern Yap | June 05, 2023, 03:21 PM

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Looking for a new mobile phone plan but want to be conscious of your environmental impact?

In line with World Environment Day on Jun. 5, local telco M1 announced the release of a new True 5G Eco SIM card for new sign ups to the M1 Bespoke Plan.

What's environmentally friendly about the SIM?

In a bid to reduce the environmental impact of SIM cards, the new True 5G Eco SIM comes in a card holder which has been halved in size.

The new card holder will be about half the size of a credit card.

According to an M1 press release, the SIM card is also made from recycled resources such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic, a fully recyclable type of opaque thermoplastic that can be melted and moulded again to form a new part.

Current SIM cards are made from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) materials, the manufacturing process of which is environmentally unfriendly as it releases harmful dioxins.

The new Eco SIM cards will progressively replace the existing ones.

M1 said that this will be more "eco-friendly" as well as reduce logistical costs, such as transport costs, due to the lighter weight and lower volume.

With the SIM card holder being halved in size and the usage of recycled resources for its production, M1 can reduce the plastic used by 50 per cent, and the carbon footprint of SIM production by 30 per cent.

The M1 spokesperson told Mothership that although the True 5G Eco SIM cards cost more to produce, the costs will be borne by M1 and will not impact the price of the SIM plans available to customers.

The True 5G Eco SIMs are available at all M1 shops starting from today (Jun. 5).

More environmentally friendly measures undertaken by M1

Beyond offering 5G physical SIM cards, M1 is one of the first few providers in Singapore to offer 5G eSIMs in Singapore.

An eSIM is a digital SIM card that can activate a mobile plan without needing a physical nano SIM.

Additionally, M1 encourages customers to reduce their e-waste by trading in their old devices in store.

The old devices will be repurposed to either make new devices, or sent to recycling partners to recover the precious materials in the device.

Manjot Singh Mann, CEO of M1, said that the launch of the True 5G Eco SIM is part of the company's strategy to combat climate change.

“The introduction of True 5G Eco SIM is one way we are addressing the problem of plastic waste in the telecommunications industry, contributed by SIM card production, and we will continue to integrate responsible practices to our operations as we work towards a connected, sustainable future.”

Top images via M1 Singapore and Canva.