Because fiber optic cable is made of ultra-pure silica glass, sheathing, plastic coatings and metal, it's difficult and expensive to recycle. Specialized processes can separate these components, but they're expensive. Fiber optic technology, central to modern telecommunications, offers a pathway to high-speed internet, data transfer, and telecommunications while being relatively eco-friendly compared to other data transmission methods. In this white paper, we examine the key impacts across each life cycle phase. OEC acquires Telegraph, Coaxial and Fibre-Optic subsea cables, both Deep-Sea and Shore-End, for the purposes of recovery.