Sprint to Receive “Sustainability Leadership Award” for Second Consecutive Year

Wireless Carrier to Be Honored at the Third Annual International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo and Announces Industry-first Electronics Stewardship Policy with New E-Waste Goals

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), May 26, 2011 – Today, Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S, news, filings) will receive the “Sustainability Leadership Award” at the Third Annual International Electronics Recycling Conference and Expo (IERCE) in Las Vegas. IERCE is a networking and learning platform for stakeholders in the e-waste management industry. This year the conference and expo has attracted more than 600 executives representing more than 400 businesses in more than 20 countries. IERCE’s panel of judges based its decision on Sprint’s full lifecycle approach to product sustainability.

“Sprint’s wide-ranging sustainability initiatives and efforts set the company apart from other wireless carriers and is why it deserves to receive this award for the second consecutive year,” said Ismail Oyekan, publisher, Electronic Waste Journal, and program director, International Electronics Recycling Conference and Expo. “Sprint truly leads by example, and it is our hope that other wireless carriers will emulate their practices and policies.”

“Sprint is proud to be recognized by IERCE for its sustainability initiatives,” said Ralph Reid, Sprint vice president of Corporate Social Responsibility. “Receiving this award two years in a row is a clear testament to Sprint’s continued environmental leadership and innovation. To further Sprint’s commitment to the environment, today we are proud to announce the creation of an Electronics Stewardship Policy, the first in the telecommunications industry. The policy outlines Sprint’s goals in handling electronic waste, from product design to end of life.”

Sprint is the only wireless carrier to outline specific commitments that address e-waste holistically by focusing on the full lifecycle of the electronics it buys and sells. Through the new Electronics Stewardship Policy, Sprint commits to design and procure eco-friendly electronics, maximize the equipment’s useful life, boost collection of equipment, maximize reuse of electronics, responsibly recycle electronic scrap, and use environmentally and socially responsible vendors for recycling. Sprint developed the policy with input from BSR, Basel Action Network and ABI Research.

The policy outlines four bold goals:

• At least 70 percent of Sprint-branded devices should meet the company’s scorecard criteria for environmental design by 2017.
• 100 percent of Sprint’s recycling vendors and remanufacturing partners must meet certification requirements by 2012 and 2013, respectively.
• Sprint intends to collect nine phones for reuse or recycling for every 10 it sells annually by 2017, a 90 percent collection rate. Since 2001, Sprint’s wireless reuse and recycling take-back programs have helped consumers keep more than 24 million mobile phones out of landfills, helping to conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent air and water pollution.
• Sprint intends to collect 100 percent of its own annual e-waste for reuse and recycling by 2017.

Sprint’s leadership in environmental sustainability continues to receive recognition. For the second year in a row, Sprint ranked highest among all U.S. telecom companies on Newsweek’s 2010 Rankings of America’s Greenest Companies at No. 6, up from No. 15 in 2009. Sprint was honored by Frost & Sullivan with the 2010 Green Excellence of the Year Award in Mobile & Wireless. Sprint was also ranked highest among the wireless carrier industry on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s “Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index.”

To learn more about Sprint programs that protect the environment, go to www.sprint.com/responsibility or follow @SprintGreenNews on Twitter.

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 51 million customers at the end of 1Q 2011 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.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ELECTRONICS RECYCLING CONFERENCE & EXPO

IERCE is a networking and learning platform for electronics manufacturers, resellers, recyclers and other stakeholders in the electronic waste management and reverse logistics industry. The event will be held May 25-27 at the J.W. Marriott Resort and Spa in Las Vegas. For more information, including speakers, exhibitors and registration, visit www.electronicsrecyclingexpo.com or call 866-728-7255 x105.