America’s Greenest Companies
From Office Dept to Accenture, these are the most earth-friendly companies in the U.S.
Mark Lennihan / AP Photo
Industry Sector: Telecommunications
NEWSWEEK Green Score: 75.6%
Environmental Impact: 71.5%
Environmental Management: 81.5%
Transparency & Disclosure: 68.0%
After an internal review in 2007, Sprint realized that it was a long way from being as environmentally responsible as it could be; it was especially lacking in eco-friendly products. In 2009, the company launched its first environmentally responsible device, the Samsung Reclaim cellphone. By 2011, Sprint had launched four such products, and it was the first U.S. carrier to sell more than one eco-friendly device. The company has also developed an “eco-logo” to help consumers identify environmentally preferable devices. In terms of product manufacturing, Sprint’s environmental management system focuses on reducing emissions to air and releases to water and land. The company has set several ambitious environmental goals to achieve by 2017, including a 90 percent phone-collection rate for reuse and recycling, 15 percent reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions, and a 15 percent decrease in electric energy use. In 2010, Sprint reduced its greenhouse-gas emissions (PDF) by 7.32 percent from 2007.
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