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Is Circular Design the Key to Cutting Costs, Carbon, and Risk in TowerCos Infrastructure?A new joint study by Oxford Saïd Business School, BIP UK, and Vantage Towers reveals how circular design, digital asset intelligence, and supplier collaboration can unlock up to €30 million in annual value and avoid 25,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions across TowerCos* infrastructure portfolios.
TowerCos infrastructure is the backbone of our connected world, yet behind every signal tower lies an invisible challenge: steel and concrete. These materials account for more than 40% of the sector’s embedded emissions, representing both a climate risk and a massive untapped opportunity. A new joint study, led by BIP UK, Oxford Saïd Business School, and Vantage Towers, explores how circular economy principles (already transforming industries like construction, logistics, and renewable energy) can help TowerCos operators decarbonise and drive long-term business value. The findings are clear: circularity isn't just an environmental lever, it is a strategic business advantage.
Most of the industry’s circularity focus to date has been on reusing network components like antennas or electronics. But these represent only a fraction of the total footprint. The bulk of embodied CO₂, and the greatest commercial opportunity, lies in tower structures and foundations. Across Europe, many towers are removed before reaching their full technical lifespan, often due to changes in landlords, site ownership, or evolving network demand. This lifecycle mismatch leads to lost value and higher material dependency. By integrating circular design principles early, operators can transform this liability into an asset, capturing resale value, avoiding procurement costs, and improving material recovery.
The study identifies four strategic actions TowerCos operators can take to build both decarbonisation and competitive advantage. The first is to design for disassembly and reuse. Current towers are often welded or poured in place, making them difficult to recover. By adopting Design for Disassembly (DfD) principles, such as modular parts and bolted joints, TowerCos companies can build towers and components that can be relocated, reused, or resold at end-of-life. This approach mirrors best practices from construction, where modular design has cut capex and emissions by up to 40% in comparable infrastructure projects.
The second action is to switch to lower-carbon materials where feasible. Emerging materials show strong promise for TowerCos applications. Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), a type of engineered wood, offers up to 60% lower embodied CO₂ than steel, while bamboo provides a lightweight, low-cost alternative. Additionally, switching from concrete foundations to modular steel bases can improve dismantling and reuse potential, reducing embodied emissions by up to 50%.
The third lever is to digitise the asset lifecycle. Digital traceability is the connective tissue of circularity. By integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM), Lifecycle Assessment (LCA), and Digital Product Passports, operators can track each tower's material composition, carbon footprint, and decommissioning readiness. These systems, increasingly used in logistics and construction, allow companies to turn towers into material banks, improving recovery and resale while meeting EU compliance requirements under CSRD and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
Finally, activating the supply chain is critical. Most decommissioning is outsourced, real impact depends on collaboration across the ecosystem. By prioritising suppliers who feed materials back into industrial loops, offer takeback programs, and incorporate material passports, TowerCos operators can shape circular markets that increase the availability of low-carbon materials. This approach not only reduces emissions and waste but also helps hedge against future steel supply volatility and carbon pricing exposure.
According to the study’s modelling, circular interventions could deliver €25–30 million in annual savings through reduced procurement, reuse, and lifecycle efficiency. They could avoid 15–25 kilotonnes of CO₂e each year, which is equivalent to removing over 15,000 cars from the road. Early adoption would position TowerCos operators as leaders in compliance with the Digital Product Passport (DPP) and CSRD, while reducing long-term regulatory and material risks.
While other sectors, such as construction, shipping, and renewables, have already begun integrating circularity as a core business model, the TowerCos industry has only scratched the surface. This research shows that by borrowing proven practices from adjacent industries, TowerCos operators can turn circularity from an ESG narrative into a commercial advantage.
Building a circular TowerCos industry will take more than innovation, it will take collaboration. The study’s authors invite other TowerCos, operators, and suppliers to join this effort, sharing insights, data, and best practices across the value chain.
“Circularity isn’t about doing less harm, it’s about building smarter, cheaper, and more resilient infrastructure,” said Sebastian Varela-Garcia, Sustainability Practice Lead, BIP UK. “By aligning design, data, and supply chains, we can turn towers from carbon liabilities into circular assets that generate measurable value,” added Dr Constanze Hirschhäuser, Head of ESG at Vantage Towers.
Notes to editors:
*TowerCos: Short for tower companies, are independent entities that own, operate, and manage telecommunications tower infrastructure. They lease space on these towers to mobile network operators and other service providers, enabling shared access to critical communications infrastructure. The TowerCos model, virtually non-existent a decade ago, has rapidly grown as telecom operators divest physical assets to focus on network and customer services, creating a new sector dedicated to efficient, scalable, and sustainable tower management.
About the study:
This study was developed as a joint initiative between Oxford Saïd Business School, BIP UK, and Vantage Towers to explore how circular design, digital infrastructure, and ecosystem partnerships can accelerate decarbonization and unlock long-term business value in TowerCos infrastructure.
About BIP:
BIP UK is a fast-growing multinational consultancy firm with a global team of approximately 6,000 professionals. The firm combines deep expertise in areas such as post-merger integration, customer and employee experience, sustainability, and the transition to net zero.
By prioritising research and leveraging cutting-edge technology, BIP UK delivers innovative solutions across a wide range of industries. These include Automotives & Mobility, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Property, Public Sector, Retail, and Telco. This commitment to innovation helps clients remain competitive and resilient in an ever-evolving market.
About Vantage Towers:
Vantage Towers is a leading tower company in Europe with about 88,000 sites in ten countries, connecting people, businesses and devices in cities and rural areas. The company was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Düsseldorf.
Vantage Towers’ portfolio includes towers, masts, rooftop sites, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cells. By building, operating and leasing this infrastructure to MNOs or other network providers such as IoT companies or utilities, Vantage Towers is making a significant contribution to a better-connected Europe.
While already 100% of the grid electricity that Vantage Towers uses to operate its infrastructure is obtained from renewable energy sources, green energy generation is piloted directly on site with the help of solar panels and micro wind turbines, and also hydrogen solutions are under testing. This fits well into the overall strategy of the company to drive a sustainable digitalisation in Europe and to support partners through technological innovation in decarbonisation and achieving their climate goals.
For more information, please visit our website at http://www.vantagetowers.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/vantagetowers.
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Debbie Schogger at BIP Group: debbie.schogger@bip-group.com
About BIP
BIP UK is a leading international management consulting firm focused on digital transformation, operational excellence, and innovative technology solutions.
The firm has a global team of approximately 6,500 professionals. By prioritising research and leveraging cutting-edge technology, BIP UK delivers innovative solutions across a wide range of industries. These include Banking, Financial Services & Insurance; Government & Public Services; Defence & Industry; Energy & Utilities; Telecoms & Media; Retail & Services; Life Sciences; Construction & Real Estate; and Food & Beverages.