Scroll to Main content, Navigation

Sprint

Note: Read why this site appears to be in plain text.

Navigation:

Sprint Global Sites:
Sprint Global Navigation:
Section links:

Sprint Re:cycle

En Español


Results

At the end of 2010, Sprint collected more than 23 million mobile phones (2,600 metric tons) for reuse and recycling - helping to conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and prevent air and water pollution.

Equipment collected annually via Sprint’s takeback programs (in Metric Tons)1
Equipment Collected 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Mobile Phones (MT) 29.2 96.6 174.5 231.3 243.0 262.6 362.6 393.4 421.9 447.3
Accessories (MT) 4.7 15.5 27.9 37.0 38.9 42.0 58.0 62.9 67.0 109.3

1Estimated weight of phone collections is based on average of 113.4 grams per phone. Estimated weight of accessory collections is based on average of 18.14 grams of accessories per phone collected plus additional accessories that entered Sprint's collection stream in 2010.

Sprint was the first in the industry to set and publicly announce an ambitious, long-term goal for device collections. Our target is to collect nine of every 10 phones we sell for reuse and recycling by 2017, or a 90% collection rate. Sprint’s collection rate at the end of 2010 was 36% percent, well ahead of the industry average. While there was a decline in the collection rate from the previous year, it can be attributed to an increase in device sales and a decrease in customer returns (represented by the denominator in the collection rate formula). The number of phones collected for reuse and recycling (the numerator) has continued to rise.

Sprint’s phone collection rates for recycling and reuse2
Fiscal Year Collection Rate
2010 35.9%
2009 42.2%
2008 34.1%
2007 22.4%

2Collection rate is calculated as the number of phones collected for reuse and recycling divided by Sprint’s net sales (total devices sold minus customer returns).

Sprint has taken measurable steps to reach our goal of collecting 90% by 2017:

  • Sprint was the first major U.S. wireless provider to “buy back” phones in store from any provider.
  • Sprint offers a free pre-paid recycling envelope in the box of nearly every new device sold.
  • Sprint is using targeted text messages and calls into Customer Care to remind customers who have a new device that Sprint will “buy back” their old device.
  • Sprint is first U.S. wireless provider to trial reusable packaging - accompanying the Samsung Seek - to make it easier for our customers to recycle old wireless equipment. We’ll recycle any old wireless device and the box!

Sprint has been recognized for excellence in recycling:

  • At the 2011 International Electronics Recycling Conference & Expo, Sprint was honored to receive the Sustainability Leadership Award for the second year in a row

Sprint also actively pursues third-party partnerships to encourage more consumer participation and to help shape industry best-practice standards for reuse and recycling.