UK e-waste business Network 2 Supplies (n2s) has signed a three-year partnership with NTT Data to sustainably decommission, support resource recovery, and improve circularity across all of Virgin Media O2’s UK data center sites.

The agreement will see more than 40,000 IT assets sustainably processed, which the partners claim will reduce waste, recover critical materials, and support Virgin Media in achieving its energy-efficiency and carbon-reduction targets.

Niccolo Spataro, CEO of NTT Data UKI, commented: “As one of the world’s largest digital infrastructure and services providers, we are determined to achieve environmental sustainability – and this partnership exemplifies our commitment.”

The deal will also see n2s’ sister company, Bioscope Technologies, deploy its advanced urban mining and bioleaching technologies across the sites. According to the companies, the technology will enable greater recovery of valuable metals, such as copper and gold, through natural, low-carbon biotechnological processes, significantly reducing the environmental footprint associated with traditional extraction and refining.

“Working with n2s’s pioneering bioleaching technology and Virgin Media O2’s own ambitious environmental goals, we’re proving that responsible technology lifecycle management can deliver both circularity and business value. As we help organizations navigate their digital transformation journeys, ensuring that their legacy equipment is treated as a resource rather than a waste product is central to building a truly sustainable future,” said Spataro.

Established in 2002, n2s recovers retired technology across all domains – from mobile and workplace IT to data center, network, and telecoms equipment – and refurbishes, remarkets, and recycles the components.

According to the company, it processed more than 33.5 tons of equipment in 2025, thereby avoiding more than 322 tons of CO2 emissions.

“As n2s continues to scale its bioleaching capabilities, this partnership with NTT Data and Virgin Media O2 reinforces a shared vision for sustainable digital infrastructure – proving that our cities and buildings are the new mines. Together, we’re evolving how technology is retired, resources are reclaimed, and circular value is created – supporting the UK’s journey to net zero,” said n2s executive director, Andrew Gormarsall.

The deal is expected to support Virgin Media O2’s drive to net zero. The company, a joint venture between Liberty Global and Telefónica SA, has set a target to achieve full net-zero carbon emissions across its value chain by the end of 2040 and a commitment to zero-waste operations.

“This partnership builds on Virgin Media O2’s commitment to achieving zero waste operations by ensuring our legacy network equipment is responsibly processed, so parts can be recovered and reused, or sustainably disposed of,” said Dana Haidan, chief sustainability officer at Virgin Media O2.