OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), March 01, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) makes it easier than ever for customers to “go green” while saving some green this St. Patrick’s Day and all year long. Sprint’s eco-friendly devices will make your friends green with envy as each device features at least 80 percent recyclable materials, comes in 100 percent recyclable packaging, and meets the Sprint Device Eco Criteria.
This St. Patty’s Day, Sprint customers can connect with friends and family on an environmentally friendly phone that doesn’t sacrifice the latest in technology:
Samsung Restore™ brings the Luck-o-the-Irish to customers by featuring the award-winning Sprint One Click customizable user interface, which offers environmentally conscious customers the perfect blend of technology with an environmentally friendly design. Restore is a text-friendly, feature-rich device designed with environmentally responsible components:
- The handset is 84 percent recyclable, and an outer casing containing 27 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.
- Packaging is 100 percent recyclable, composed of 70 percent post-consumer materials and printed with soy ink.
- An online user manual replaces the traditional paper manual.
- Low levels of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFR), two materials commonly targeted on green electronics guidelines. The device also meets strict RoHS standards for restriction of hazardous materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium.
LG Remarq™ enables eco-minded consumers to stay connected with the people who matter most at an incredible price. Available in either dark silver or turquoise, LG Remarq comes pre-loaded with informative eco-apps, including the innovative Eco Calculator application1, which allows customers to calculate potential C02 reduction savings by making greener choices (walking or cycling instead of driving a car). The reduction is calculated in pounds of C02 or trees planted. Made with the environment in mind, Remarq’s green features include:
- A handset that is 87 percent recyclable and an outer casing made from 19 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.
- An Energy Star-qualified charger, which meets the energy-efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- Packaging that is fully recyclable and made from 87 percent post consumer material (PCM). The phone tray inside the box is made from 100 percent PCM. The images and text on the box, and all in-box materials, are printed with soy ink.
Green Apps for Android
In addition to these green devices, owners of Sprint Android-powered devices, including HTC EVO™4G and Samsung Epic™4G, can easily download free apps1 from Android Market to help them “go green” this St. Patrick’s Day such as:
- Eco Buzz Widget – Gives the latest news on climate change, where to buy the coolest organic threads on the market, or which car has the least impact on the environment.
- Seasonal Harvest – Find out where to buy some healthy, green produce for a St. Patty’s Day feast with this app. Seasonal Harvest helps consumers determine what locally grown produce is in season in their area. Select a state or use GPS to view in-season produce.
- Tissue Guide – Saves the earth one tissue at a time. Recycled tissue products help protect ancient forests, clean water and wildlife habitats. This Greenpeace Guide makes it easy to find which of more than 100 brands of facial tissues, toilet paper, paper towels and napkins are truly green and which should be avoided.
Be Green All Year Long
“Sprint’s commitment to taking a full lifecycle view of product responsibility extends beyond offering an expanding portfolio of feature-rich green devices, applications and accessories,” said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president of Product Development. “On St. Patrick’s Day and every day throughout the year, the entire Sprint family is proud of our eco-friendly commitment.”
Sprint offers two wireless recycling/reuse take-back programs to prevent thousands of tons of wireless equipment from entering the waste stream – Sprint Buyback and Sprint Project ConnectSM.
Sprint Buyback accepts eligible devices from any carrier or manufacturer. Customers can bring in up to three eligible wireless devices in-store (per 12-month period/wireless number) for recycling and receive an immediate account credit for the value of eligible old devices, without having to upgrade an existing device or plan. Customers can receive from $5 to $300 per eligible device through Sprint Buyback. Customers can also take advantage of the program online at Sprint.com/buyback.
Devices that do not qualify for the Sprint Buyback program can be donated to Sprint Project ConnectSM, a recycling service that accepts all used wireless phones, batteries, accessories and data cards, regardless of carrier or condition. All net proceeds generated from the sale of equipment collected through Sprint Project Connect help to promote Sprint’s 4NetSafetySM program.
Save More Green
Sprint helps customers save green in their wallets, too. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint network. Starting at just $69.99 per month for feature phones like the Samsung Restore and the LG Remarq, or with an additional $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones, Sprint offers a savings of at least $39.99 per month vs. Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and Web (excluding Verizon’s Southern California plan; pricing excludes surcharges and taxes.)
Sprint customers can also use their mobile phones to save even more green on everyday items, such as gas, groceries, clothing or electronics. With gas prices on the rise again, free apps, like GasBuddy, help find the cheapest gas prices while on the go. In one click, users can locate gas stations near them and see their current gas prices.
Have a craving for green eggs and ham or corned beef and cabbage? Satisfy it with additional free apps available for download from My Coupons and Cellfire, for instance, which provide coupons for restaurants, groceries and more. With My Coupons, users can also share their favorite coupons for St. Patty’s Day with friends by texting the coupon to any phone, e-mail, Twitter or Facebook account.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 49.9 million customers at the end of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
1Customers must have a Sprint data plan to access applications or else be charged a casual data free for access.
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