2Sustain

Last week, Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) announced that they will offer the first phone in the U.S. constructed from eco-friendly bio-plastic materials.

The Samsung “Reclaim” will be available for purchase on August 16. The new phone contains 80% recyclable material and is made from a bio-plastic derived from corn. (This reminds me of the new Coca Cola bottle made from sugar cane and molasses.)

In addition to its green construction and fully recyclable packaging, $2 from each phone sold 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.

Sprint also announced several other new environmental initiatives, including:

• establishing a set of environmental design criteria for future devices and accessories. (Sprint is the first U.S. wireless carrier to create design criteria like this.)

• implementing a series of new environmentally-responsible retail initiatives, such as adding a dedicated display area in stores that highlights Sprint’s commitment to eco-friendly products and accessories.

• committing to reduce paper usage by 30% 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,” says 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.”

More details about Sprint’s “ECOmmitment” are available at http://www.sprint.com/green.

The company’s CSR report, which includes information about environmental, social, and economic initiatives, is available at http://www.sprint.com/responsibility/index.html