Available for less than $50, Samsung Reclaim is the most full-featured eco-friendly phone in the U.S.; Purchases of Samsung Reclaim benefit The Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 6, 2009--
Sprint (NYSE:S) is making it easier than ever for customers to “go
green” with new eco-friendly products, services and programs and
expanding its commitment as a leader in sustainability. Available on
Aug. 16, Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile),
the #1 mobile phone provider in the U.S.1, today announced
Samsung Reclaim™ as the first phone in the U.S. constructed from
eco-friendly bio-plastic materials. Made from 80 percent recyclable
materials, Samsung Reclaim is a feature-rich messaging phone that offers
environmentally conscious customers a perfect blend of responsibility
without sacrificing the latest in network speeds and must-have features.
Reclaim is the most full-featured QWERTY phone launched by Sprint at
less than $50. It will be available on August 16 in all Sprint retail
channels, including Best Buy, Radio Shack, Web (www.sprint.com)
and telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) for just $49.99 with a two-year service
agreement after a $30 instant rebate and a $50 mail-in rebate (taxes and
service charges excluded). It will be available at Wal-Mart in early
September.
When customers purchase Samsung Reclaim from Sprint, $2 of the proceeds
will benefit The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program, which
supports land conservation across the United States and protects some of
the world’s most beautiful and important natural habitats.
“This generous donation from Sprint will help us protect and restore
some of America’s most beautiful and ecologically-important landscapes
for future generations to enjoy,” said Mark Tercek, president and CEO of
The Nature Conservancy. “We applaud Sprint’s sustainability efforts, as
innovation and new technology are crucial to the future of conservation.”
Sprint is also launching several new environmental initiatives in an
effort to support its aggressive long-term environmental goals:
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Sprint is the first U.S. wireless carrier to establish a set of
environmental design criteria for future devices and accessories.
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Sprint is implementing a series of new environmentally-responsible
retail initiatives including adding a dedicated display area in stores
that highlights Sprint’s commitment to eco-friendly products and
accessories.
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Sprint is committing to reduce paper usage by 30 percent during the
next five years.
“Sprint is widely recognized as a leader among telecommunications
companies in environmentally-responsible initiatives, and today we are
proud to announce an even stronger commitment to sustainability with new
eco-friendly products and programs,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO.
“Samsung Reclaim enables customers to go green while getting the latest
in wireless technology. When customers walk into a Sprint retail store,
they will be greeted by the information they need to make earth-friendly
wireless choices, coupled with Ready Now to learn about the rich
functionality of this device.”
DEFINING GREEN WITH SAMSUNG RECLAIM
An eco-friendly
overachiever, Samsung Reclaim from Sprint is designed with
environmentally-responsible components and fully recyclable packaging,
making it the perfect wireless phone for the eco-conscious consumer.
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Its bio-plastic material, made from corn, makes up 40 percent of the
Reclaim’s outer casing. Samsung Reclaim is free of polyvinyl chloride
(PVC), phthalates, and nearly free of brominated flame retardants
(BFR): three materials commonly targeted on green electronics
guidelines.
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The outer packaging and the phone tray inside the box are made from 70
percent recycled materials. The images and text on the box as well as
the phone warranty information are printed with soy-based ink.
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The typical thick paper user manual has been replaced with a virtual
manual that users can access at www.sprint.com/reclaimsupport.
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The charger is Energy Star approved for meeting the highest energy
efficiency standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
and the U.S. Department of Energy. It consumes 12 times less power
than the Energy Star standard for standby power consumption and is
equipped with a visible notification to alert the user to unplug the
handset once it’s fully charged.
“Samsung Reclaim is more than just an eco-friendly device, it’s also a
powerful and stylish phone that’s easy-to-use,” said Omar Khan, senior
vice president of Strategy and Product Management for Samsung Mobile.
“When you combine the Reclaim’s impressive feature set with its
bio-plastic hardware and eco-friendly packaging, you’re using a phone
that is good for you and the environment.”
Operating on America’s most dependable 3G network2, Samsung
Reclaim boasts One Click, Sprint’s award-winning customizable user
interface with quick access to such social networks as Facebook,
MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. A new green One Click tile makes its debut
on Reclaim providing the gateway to several green applications including:
-
Five Simple Steps from Discovery Channel provides five simple changes
you can make to be more eco-friendly, from how you commute to what you
eat for dinner;
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Green Guides from Discovery Channel offers handy guides to help you
green your lives with ease, and understand why;
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Green Glossary from Discovery Channel provides words and explanations
about the Earth and Climate Change; and
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All Things Green, a Sprint Web category contains dynamic green
headline and links to downloadable content.
Customers don’t have to sacrifice the latest in technology to be
environmentally-friendly with Reclaim. The stylish, full-featured phone
offers:
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a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard making it easy to access personal or
corporate email as well as text and multimedia messaging;
-
Sprint Navigation with Search, providing easy access to directory
information and GPS-enabled directions;
-
2 megapixel camera with 3x digital zoom and camcorder;
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advanced stereo Bluetooth® 2.0;
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expandable memory storage up to 32GB;
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an integrated Web browser; and
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two color options - Earth Green and Ocean Blue.
Sprint currently offers more eco-friendly accessories than any other
U.S. telecommunications company. In May, Sprint announced the
availability of new eco-friendly accessories, including the SOLIO Mono
solar-powered charger and two new cell phone carrying cases made from
100 percent recycled plastic water bottles.
Sprint’s green-themed website, www.sprint.com/green,
details Sprint’s green mobile applications and helps customers learn
about Sprint’s sustainability initiatives, including online bill pay,
wireless recycling programs and acquiring green tips, such as using
mobile GPS to calculate the quickest route to save gas. Customers can
receive Sprint updates on specific company-wide
environmentally-responsible initiatives on Twitter via @SprintGreenNews
and can visit www.sprint.com/green
for additional green tips.
GREENING SPRINT RETAIL STORES AND PRODUCTS
Beginning in
September, all Sprint-owned retail locations will feature a new
dedicated environmentally-responsible section that highlights
eco-friendly products and accessories such as the SOLIO Solar Charger
and carrying cases made from recycled materials. Sprint also will
implement a new sustainable design blueprint for all future Sprint-owned
retail store builds and refurbishments.
New and refurbished stores will implement numerous sustainable design
elements consistent with LEED design standards, and will include
energy-efficient lighting, low water usage plumbing fixtures and low VOC
paint and carpet. The roll out of these energy efficiency upgrades is
expected to reduce the carbon footprint of each store by about 19,000
pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents.
Sprint’s Environmental Product Design
Criteria Vision Statement applies to all products sold in Sprint
channels. Sprint will work with its device and accessory suppliers to
design and provide products that:
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Reduce the use of potentially hazardous materials,
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Are energy efficient,
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Include standardized audio and charging interfaces,
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Are more recyclable, and
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Have more sustainable packaging including standardized sizes, reduced
weight, increased recyclability rate, and increased recycled content.
Sprint also will work with its suppliers to measure and report on the
environmental impact of their manufacturing processes.
LEADING IN SUSTAINABILITY
Wireless Recycling
-
Sprint is the industry leader in the reuse and recycling of wireless
devices sold. Sprint has an aggressive industry-first goal of reaching
a 90 percent phone collection rate for reuse/recycling compared with
annual wireless device sales by 2017.
-
Since 2001, Sprint wireless recycling programs have diverted more than
17 million cell phones from landfills for reuse or recycling. Sprint’s
current collection rate is just under 35 percent, more than three
times the national recycling average.
-
Sprint is a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s
Plug-In To eCycling Program.
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Efforts
-
Sprint has committed to reduce its GHG emissions by 15 percent by 2017
and to increase its use of renewable energy to 10 percent by 2017. In
fall 2007, Sprint became the first wireless provider to join the
Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Climate Leaders Program.
-
Sprint is the only U.S.-based wireless telecom to have a published GHG
reduction target. In 2008, just its first year of measurement and
reporting, Sprint achieved a 6.8 percent reduction moving from 2.18M
metric tons of GHG emissions to 2.03M metric tons.
Green Energy Use
-
Sprint is an industry leader in the purchase of green energy and is at
the forefront of using renewable energy sources such as Hydrogen.
Sprint ranks #20 on the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Fortune 500 list.
-
Wind power provides approximately 80 percent of the energy needed to
run Sprint’s Overland Park, Kan. corporate headquarters.
-
Sprint recently received a $7.3 million grant from the U.S. Department
of Energy to expand its use of Hydrogen fuel cells as backup power for
cell sites. An industry leader, Sprint has deployed more than 250
Hydrogen fuel cell generators across its wireless network and has
received 12 patents from the U.S. Patent Office that include Hydrogen
fuel cells.
SAMSUNG’S CONTINUED COMMITMENT
Reclaim is Samsung’s latest
contribution toward its commitment to the environment. Samsung
Electronics Co. was recently named as the second highest rated company
in Greenpeace International’s Guide to Greener Electronics scorecard.
The research rates electronics manufacturers on reducing the climate
impacts of products and operations, responsible recycling and take-back
of unwanted electronics and the elimination of toxic materials from the
products themselves.
Samsung recently adopted a new green management initiative with
comprehensive goals intended to make Samsung a leading eco-friendly
company by 2013. The “Eco-Management 2013” plan includes commitments to:
-
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions normalized by sales* from
manufacturing facilities by 50 percent and cut total indirect
greenhouse gas emissions from all products by 84 million tons,
-
Ensure 100 percent of Samsung’s products are eco-friendly and exceed
global eco-mark standards, and
-
Invest $4.3 billion in various eco-management initiatives and enhance
green partnerships with suppliers and partners.
Samsung’s Mobile Take-Back Program™ is part of the Samsung Recycling
DirectSM initiative. The Samsung Mobile Take-Back Program
recycles end-of-life mobile devices by processing them to be reused as
resources for manufacturers. The Samsung Mobile Take-Back Program is
leading the effort to create a recycle-based society by distributing 100
percent recyclable mobile recycling envelopes made out of high density
polyethylene. To find out more information on the Samsung Recycling
Direct and Samsung Mobile Take-Back Program please visit, www.samsung.com/recyclingdirect.
Since June 2008, Samsung’s Customer Care Center has recycled 635 tons of
cardboard, which has saved more than 10,700 trees, 38,000 pounds of air
particles, 4.4 million gallons of water, 2.6 million kilowatts of
electricity and 1905 cubic yards of landfill space.
BEST BUY JOINS IN GOING GREEN
Sprint's partner Best Buy and
its Greener TogetherTM initiative helps customers make
smarter decisions about technology and energy use. Through Greener
Together, Best Buy helps customers choose electronics and appliances
wisely and use them more efficiently, plus find easy ways to recycle,
reuse, or trade in products at the end of their life.
Best Buy recently began offering electronics recycling at all of its
1,036 stores nationwide including televisions, monitors, computer CPUs
and notebooks, small electronics, VCRs, DVDs and more. The program is
the latest addition to the electronics and appliance recycling options
Best Buy offers to consumers nationwide including recycling kiosks,
appliance and television haul-away, appliance and television pick-up and
Tech Trade-In. Visit www.bestbuy.com/green
for more information.
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 wireless networks
serving almost 49 million customers at the end of the second quarter of
2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and
international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet
backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved
first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more
information, visit www.sprint.com.
About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung
Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung
Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless
handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America. For
more information, please visit www.samsungmobileusa.com.
About Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a
global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and
digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96
billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61
countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media &
Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest
growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of
digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more
information, please visit www.samsung.com.
1 Based upon reported shipment data from Strategy Analytics Q1 2009 U.S.
Market Share Handset Shipments Report.
2 “Dependable” based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data
connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top
50 most populous markets from January 2008 to February 2009. Not all
services available on 3G and coverage may default to separate network
when 3G unavailable.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
VISIT WWW.SPRINT.COM/NEWSROOM
or WWW.SPRINT.COM/PRESSKITS
FOR MORE INFORMATION
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Source: Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC
Sprint
Michelle Leff Mermelstein, 703-928-3919
Michelle.Leff@sprint.com
or
Alexander
Hahn, 703-433-3062
Alex.M.Hahn@Sprint.com
or
MWW
Group for Samsung Mobile
Brett White, 817-992-6770
bwhite@mww.com