RESTON, Va. ? 02/20/2007 With over 200 million wireless subscribers in the U.S. today, the need to recycle old wireless phones is more important than ever. That's why Sprint Nextel (NYSE:S) and Keep America Beautiful are teaming up to "Wipe Out Wireless Waste" starting Mar. 1, during the 2007 Great American Cleanup(TM) - the country's largest nationwide community improvement program.
"Wipe Out Wireless Waste" Across the Nation
This year, more than 1,000 Keep America Beautiful affiliates and participating organizations across all 50 states are invited to participate in the "Wipe Out Wireless Waste" campaign by conducting events and distributing special postage-paid mailing envelopes to encourage community members to recycle their old phones. Printable mailing labels are also available online at kba.org/phonerecycling. To jump-start the effort, Sprint Nextel is:
- Giving $500 grants to the first 100 affiliates that register to participate in the campaign;
- Awarding up to $5,000 to top performing affiliates for their efforts; and,
- Donating all net proceeds from the recycling program to support community improvement and revitalization efforts through Keep America Beautiful.
Cleaning and Greening Up Communities
The Sprint Foundation has also contributed $200,000 in support of the Great American Cleanup(TM) which brings together more than 2 million volunteers each year in over 15,000 communities for more than 30,000 clean-up, green-up and fix-up events throughout the United States.
Keep America Beautiful's Great American Cleanup activities include litter clean-ups on public lands and waterways, recycling events, tree and flower plantings, educational workshops, vacant lot restorations, and a diversity of hands-on stewardship projects. In 2006, Great American Cleanup events resulted in the collection of over 228 million pounds of litter and debris through more than 7.5 million volunteer hours.
"There are many ways to help keep our nation clean and green, and we're pleased to add wireless recycling to the list," said G. Raymond Empson, president of Keep America Beautiful. "It's our pleasure to be partnering with Sprint Nextel, a company with a history of strong environmental commitment, to give communities across the country the tools and information they need to properly recycle their old phones."
"We're excited to team up with Keep America Beautiful to make a difference in the communities where our customers and employees live and work," said Ralph Reid, vice president of corporate social responsibility for Sprint Nextel. "Through the Keep America Beautiful and its nationwide network of affiliates, we look forward to generating more public awareness to help wipe out wireless waste."
For more information on the campaign to "Wipe Out Wireless Waste" or to recycle your old wireless phone at kba.org/phonerecycling.