Sprint Phone Recycling Goal Gets a Boost With Vespa USA Relationship

Sprint customers who recycle their old phone get chance to win a new Vespa scooter

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), June 22, 2011 – Today, Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S, news, filings) and Vespa USA announced a new customer contest to drive greater participation in Sprint’s Buyback program by offering customers a chance to win a new fuel-efficient Vespa LX 50 motor scooter. Between June 26 and August 20, wireless users who return their old or unused cell phones to Sprint can receive up to $250 instant credit toward the purchase of a new wireless device and will be able to enter to win one of six Vespa scooters at http://sprint.com/govespa.Winners of the Vespa scooters also will receive the new Samsung Replenish™, the fourth eco-friendly device from Sprint, one of its latest Android devices. All devices returned through the Buyback program either will be recycled or re-purposed to continue Sprint’s momentum toward its zero waste policy and 2017 goal to recycle nine mobile devices for every 10 sold.

With its recently announced Electronics Stewardship Policy, a key component of the company’s efforts to reduce improperly disposed e-waste, Sprint is providing customers responsible end-of-life solutions for their mobile devices. Since 2001, Sprint has collected more than 24 million phones for reuse and recycling. Currently, only 10 percent of phones in this country are recycled, leaving more than 140 million mobile phones in landfills each year.

“We are excited to join with Vespa to make this special offer available to new and existing Sprint customers,” said Matt Gunter, Sprint vice president of consumer marketing. “Our aim is to address the entire lifecycle of the mobile devices we buy and sell – it’s a win-win for our customers, for Sprint and for the environment. While we continue to educate customers on responsible ways to manage e-waste, this relationship with Vespa will draw greater attention and enthusiasm to our efforts. We hope to drive greater participation in our Buyback program and to encourage new customers to join us in this initiative.”

As part of Sprint’s loyalty program, Premier customers were able to participate in the sweepstakes in advance of the national promotion that started in April. The Premier customer sweepstakes offered 10 lucky winners a Vespa LX 50 and received a significant response, with more than 300,000 entries submitted. The Premier customer contest ended June 10.

While most participation in the Buyback program will occur in Sprint stores across the nation, customers will also have a chance to trade in their phones as part of the Sprint/Vespa “Green on the Go” Tour. The tour will start on July 2 in San Francisco and travel through Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and Boston before ending in New York on Aug. 13. The events, with more information on location and times at www.VespaUSA.com are as follows:

At the events, customers can:

• Trade in their phones to be recycled to see whether they can earn an instant credit toward the purchase of a new device or donate their phone through Project Connect.
• Demo Sprint’s first eco-friendly Android powered device – the Samsung Replenish made partially from recycled materials and recyclable packaging.
• Participate in a Vespa photo experience.
• Learn more about the benefits of using a Vespa as an alternative mode of transportation – as part of Vespa’s Vespanomics program.
• Enter for a chance to win a Vespa LX 50 scooter, Samsung Replenish and three months of Sprint wireless service at each of the six city stops.

“The decision to partner with Sprint was an easy one as we have the same goal: find ways to conserve resources for the betterment of our planet,” said Melissa R. MacCaull, vice president, Piaggio Group Americas. “Sprint’s popular phone recycling program and the use of Vespas as a viable form of alternative transportation to reduce oil and gas consumption, pollution and traffic congestion are two solutions Sprint and Vespa are putting forth and that Americans are embracing.”

Vespa USA, through its Vespanomics program, promotes the use of fuel-efficient motor scooters as an alternative form of transportation that can greatly reduce gasoline consumption and put more money back into the pockets of Americans. Vespa estimates that in the year 2020, if a fraction of licensed U.S. drivers converted a small percentage of their miles to a Vespa, gasoline consumption would be reduced by 3.9 billion gallons per year, resulting in a savings to Americans of more than $21 billion.

Winners of the contest will be announced following Aug. 20 no later than October 1. For more information on the tour dates and the contest, please visit www.VespaUSA.com. To learn more about Sprint programs that protect the environment, go to www.sprint.com/responsibility or follow @SprintGreenNews on Twitter. To learn more about Vespa motor scooters, Vespanomics or to find a Vespa dealer in your area, please visit www.VespaUSA.com or like them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/VespaUSA) or follow them on Twitter @VespaUSA.

Sprint GREEN ON THE GO VESPA SWEEPSTAKES

ABBREVIATED RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Void where prohibited. Open to legal residents of fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia, who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry. Sweepstakes begins at 12:00a.m. EST on June 26, 2011 and ends at 11:59:59 p.m. EST August 20, 2011. For complete Official Rules, including entry instructions and prize details, visit Sprint.com/govespa. Sponsor: Sprint Communications Company L.P.

“Green On The Go” Tour Sweepstakes

ABBREVIATED RULES

No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. Open to legal U.S. residents who are at least 18 years of age or the age of majority in jurisdiction of residence (whichever is older) at time of entry. Sweepstakes is offered only in San Francisco, California, Los Angeles, California, Seattle, Washington, Chicago, Illinois, Boston, Massachusetts and New York, New York. Sweepstakes begins at the dates and times as specified for each live event in the Official Rules. For Official Rules, including entry instructions and prize details, visit the Green on the Go booth at the live event. Sponsor: Sprint Communications Company L.P.

Sprint’s Sustainability Program

Sprint’s industry-leading role in corporate responsibility and 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 also ranked highest among the wireless carrier industry on the Carbon Disclosure Project’s “Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index.” Sprint also received Frost & Sullivan’s 2010 North American Green Excellence of the Year Award in Mobile & Wireless for its demonstrated leadership and commitment to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, proactive approach to the deployment of renewable energy, and aggressive cell-phone recycling efforts. 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 Vespa Motor Scooters

Vespa motor scooters are the finest scooters on the planet because of their superior design, fit, finish and components. The most distinguishing design and functional feature of the Vespa is its steel unibody monocoque frame, which has been a feature since the first Vespa was built more than 60 years ago.

Beloved the world over by consumers and celebrities alike, the Vespa is recognized as the epitome of Italian design and the standard bearer of what is deemed stylish and cool. When owners ride a Vespa they get the added benefit of reducing oil and gas consumption, traffic congestion, pollution and their commuting time.

For more information about Vespa and the Vespa lifestyle, visit www.VespaUSA.com, like them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/VespaUSA) or follow them on Twitter (http://twitter.com/VespaUSA).

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