Sprint Celebrates Earth Month with NBA Green Week, Launch of Portable Power Pack with Eco-Friendly Features, Phone Recycling and More

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), April 15, 2013 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) is committed to reducing its environmental impact year-round, so the company has introduced several initiatives to celebrate Earth Month and Earth Day on April 22. Sprint, ranked No. 3 on Newsweek’s Green Rankings and known for its industry-leading focus on sustainability, will host several Earth Month activities and promotions that will continue the company’s mission to encourage wireless device recycling and its customers to live a greener lifestyle.

NBA Green Week

Earth Month began with NBA Green Week, which was presented by Sprint and included a variety of local and national greening projects, recycling programs, giveaways and auctions that encouraged fans to “go green.” NBA Green Week tipped off April 4 with the launch of a Pledge to Recycle contest: Fans who pledge to recycle their old mobile devices through May 16 can enter to win a grand-prize trip for two to the 2013 NBA Finals. In conjunction with Green Week, the league also worked with Sterling Planet – a leading supplier of renewable energy – to offset the amount of energy used during all of the NBA games that took place during Green Week. NBA teams also held a variety of events – from tree plantings to recycling drives – in their local markets.

Green Zone

On Earth Day, Sprint will unveil the Green Zone app, an exciting update to the Sprint Green ID pack originally launched in April 2011. Green Zone will provide instant access to mobile content to help users live more responsibly. From shopping to lifestyle tips, creating a greener workout, or navigating the fast-changing world of hybrid cars, the Green Zone serves as a resource and companion for users looking to live a greener, healthier lifestyle. Green Zone users can also opt to receive notifications at the top of their screen to alert them about upcoming green events, additions to the app and more. The app will be available to Sprint users who download the Green ID pack or through Google Play.

Sprint’s Green ID pack is one of more than 100 Sprint ID packs, which automatically load apps, widgets, wallpapers and other content on select Sprint devices. Other apps within the Green ID pack include Earth911.com’s iRecycle app, which uses GPS to locate recycling drop-off sites for materials from computers to paint; and Light Bulb Finder from Eco Hatchery, which makes it easy to switch from conventional light bulbs to energy-saving equivalents without compromising on appearance, light quality or performance.

“Since launching the Green ID pack, Sprint customers have replaced 26,196 light bulbs using the app, saving $382,000 per year and more than 4 million pounds of CO2 per year, equivalent to the annual emissions for 356 cars,” said Adam Borut, co-founder of Eco Hatchery.

Launch of the EcoMoto P4000

Last Friday, Sprint launched the Motorola P4000 Universal Portable Power Pack, which is part of the EcoMoto™ family of products and contains no BFRs or PVC and is certified CarbonFree^®. This portable power pack can recharge your smartphone, tablet, MP3 player, Bluetooth^® headset or camera with its built-in micro-USB cable, and most others with its standard USB charge port2. The power pack can also help save energy by providing up to two full charges on the go while automatically shutting off when the P4000 or devices are fully charged. Twenty-five percent of the P4000’s housing contains post-consumer recycled plastic by weight, and the product comes in 100 percent curbside recyclable packaging. The P4000 retails for $79.99.

UL Environment (ULE) Scoring for Platinum Phones on Sprint.com

Sprint and ULE developed the first environmental standard for mobile phones in 2010. Since then, Sprint has offered more devices with eco-friendly features than any other U.S. carrier. Beginning today, Sprint.com customers will be able to see which of Sprint’s phones are ULE platinum-certified and what that means in terms of their environmental impact.

Sprint and World Wildlife Fund Focus on Phone Recycling

Sprint has taken back more than 47 million wireless devices to date through their recycling programs, more than any other wireless carrier. When customers take advantage of the Sprint Buyback program, they can receive up to a $300 account credit when they recycle their eligible old phone upon trade-in. On Earth Day, Sprint will donate $1 to World Wildlife Fund for every phone collected, making a minimum contribution of $10,000. Today, Sprint is one of only 30 companies accepted in World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers program based on its aggressive commitments to combat climate change.

Sharing Success Stories

To end Earth Month, Sprint executives will participate in two high-profile sustainability conferences, sharing information about the company’s commitment to doing well while doing good things for the environment. As a featured speaker at the Ceres Conference, May 1-2, CEO Dan Hesse will discuss how Sprint has created shared value for customers, the planet and its own bottom line through industry-leading sustainability programs and innovations. Fared Adib, senior vice president of products and platforms, will address the Fortune Brainstorm Green conference about Sprint’s unprecedented device-recycling success (including $1 billion in cost avoidance for the company), and speak on a panel asking “How do we double America’s recycling rate in the next five years?”

“All of these efforts to reduce our environmental impact are imperative to the success of our business,” said Ralph Reid, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Sprint. “Working with our suppliers, our customers and our strategic partners like the World Wildlife Fund and the NBA to raise awareness around programs like the Sprint Buyback program is a win-win for everyone.”

Sprint continues to receive recognition for its leadership in environmental practices. In each of the last two years, the carrier has been named No. 3 in the United States by Newsweek’s annual Green Rankings of the 500 greenest companies. Last month, global consulting and analyst firm Frost and Sullivan recognized Sprint as the 2013 North American Award for Green Excellence. In 2012, the carrier was named No. 4 – and the only wireless provider – on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Top 20 Technology & Telecom list of green power users within the sector. Sprint has also been recognized by independent analyst firm Verdantix for its corporate sustainability performance, and for the last two years Sprint Buyback has been named the best buyback program in the industry by Compass Intelligence, based on an overall score among national carriers.

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 55 million customers at the end of 2012 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. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in both its 2011 and 2012 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.