Circular methods could unlock €30 million in value for TowerCos economy

As the UK continues to struggle with the decarbonisation of its economy, businesses may be foregoing important opportunities by dragging their feet on sustainability issues. A new joint study by Oxford Saïd Business School, BIP UK, and Vantage Towers has demonstrated the ways in which circular design, digital asset intelligence, and supplier collaboration can unlock up to €30 million in annual value.

Founded in 2020, Vantage Towers is a leading tower company in Europe with about 88,000 sites in 10 countries, connecting people, businesses and devices in cities and rural areas. The Düsseldorf-headquartered company’s portfolio includes towers, masts, rooftop sites, distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cells – powered by renewable energy sources, while 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.

Now, it is also helping to show the way forward with one of the most difficult parts of the road to net zero: the built environment. TowerCos, or tower companies, are businesses that build, own, and operate the physical, "passive" telecommunications infrastructure like cell towers and rooftops – and they supply the backbone of a modern 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, has explored how circular economy principles that are already transforming industries like construction, logistics, and renewable energy, can help TowerCos operators decarbonise and drive long-term business value.

According to the study, the findings show that circularity isn’t just an environmental lever, it is a strategic business advantage. Circular interventions could deliver €25-30 million in annual savings through reduced procurement, reuse, and lifecycle efficiency. They could also avoid 15-25 kilotonnes of CO₂ 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.

“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.

Four recommendations

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.

“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.