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Corporate Social Responsibility
News
2.20.2007 - 04:10pm ET
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Keep America Beautiful and Sprint Nextel Partner to 'Wipe Out Wireless Waste'
Hundreds of Communities Mobilize During Great American Cleanup to Recycle Wireless Phones and Green the Nation
(CSRwire) STAMFORD, CT - February 20, 2007 - With over 200 million wireless
subscribers in the United States 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 March 1, during the 2007 Great American Cleanup™ - 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 Great
American Cleanup 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 www.kab.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, 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 U.S.
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, visit www.kab.org/phonerecycling.
About Keep America Beautiful, Inc.
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., established in 1953, is the nation's largest
volunteer-based community action and education organization. This national
nonprofit forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage
individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community
environments. The Great American Cleanup™ is the organization's
signature program that mobilizes millions of volunteers to improve their
communities through hands-on participation. For more information on 'Wipe
Out Wireless Waste' or to locate a local Keep America Beautiful affiliate,
visit www.kab.org/phonerecycling.
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 is widely recognized for
developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including
two robust wireless networks serving 53.1 million customers at the end of
2006; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and
international walkie-talkie capabilities; and an award-winning and global
Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
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