E-Recyclers Honor Sprint for Sustainable Leadership
Sprint Nextel will receive the “Sustainability Leadership Award” at the 2nd International Electronics Recycling Conference and Expo this week in Burlingame, Calif.
The International Electronics Recycling Conference and Expo is a networking and learning platform for electronics manufacturers, resellers, recyclers, retailers and other stakeholders involved in the end-of-life management for electronics. More than 600 executives from more than 15 countries are expected to attend.
“Our event is the only resource currently available for IT asset managers, executives, investors, enthusiasts and seasoned electronics waste management professionals who want to keep up with opportunities, technologies and trends in the multibillion dollar e-waste management industry,” said Ismail Oyekan, program director of the event. “We provide a platform where corporations of all sizes can meet with certified electronic recyclers and asset recovery specialists.”
“We chose Sprint for this award because of their leadership amongst wireless carriers in the recycling of mobile handsets,” continued Oyekan. “Sprint was the first in the wireless industry to set an ambitious, long-term collection goal – to recover for reuse or recycling 90 percent of the handsets they sell annually by 2017. Their collection rate for 2009 was 42 percent, up from 34 percent the year before. In total, Sprint's take back programs have kept more than 20 million cell phones out of landfills since 2001.”
"Sprint is honored to be acknowledged by the IERCE for our commitment to electronics recycling," said
Ralph Reid, vice president of Sprint corporate responsibility, said, "Environmental sustainability and product responsibility are key priorities for Sprint. As the first U.S. wireless carrier to establish a set of green design criteria for consumer devices, Sprint has made it more rewarding than ever for customers to recycle with the Sprint Buyback program. We are striving to responsibly address the entire lifecycle of the products that we sell.”
Sprint has a series of environmental initiatives and green innovations listed in its 2007 social responsibility report, including:
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building an internal cross-functional team to investigate issues related to running the company as it relates to natural resources.
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deploying about 100 hydrogen fuel cells and running a cell site using a hydrogen reformer in conjunction with fuel cells.
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promising to purchase 75 percent of its power for the Overland Park campus from Kansas City Power and Light, through the Spearville Wind Farm, which it helped to build.
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investing in building automation systems, Web-based meter information system and demand response capabilities.