Sprint Project Connect^SM

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

• What is Sprint Project Connect?

  Sprint Project Connect is a free recycling service for anyone who has wireless phones, batteries, accessories and data cards they no longer use. Sprint accepts all makes and models, regardless of carrier or condition. The collected equipment is sold for reuse or recycling. All net proceeds are used to support online safety for kids through Sprint's 4NetSafety^SM program, in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the National Education Association Health Information Network, and others.

• Why recycle my phone?

  By recycling it with Sprint Project Connect, you're helping to safeguard the environment. All of the equipment that Sprint collects is kept out of the waste stream. This alleviates the risk of toxins entering our water and air through landfills and waste incinerators. And, since Sprint emphasizes the reuse of phones, you're helping to cut the greenhouse gas emissions and conserve the energy and resources involved with manufacturing new phones.

• How do I recycle with Sprint Project Connect?

  Sprint includes a free, postage-paid recycling envelope in-the-box with most new phones and data cards that Sprint sells. Envelopes are also available at the retail counter in Sprint-owned stores. In addition, you can print a free, pre-paid shipping label from the Sprint Interactive Center (touch screen) in Sprint-owned stores or online right now by clicking here. Before you send your phone to Sprint, remove or transfer any personal information you have on it.

• What can I recycle with Sprint Project Connect?

  The program accepts the following wireless equipment regardless of carrier or condition: mobile phones, smart phones, PDAs and data cards. Sprint-branded routers and femtocells (e.g., AIRAVE) are accepted. Also any batteries and accessories associated with these devices (e.g., power cords, ear buds, holsters, etc.). You may also submit user manuals and the packaging that initially came with the device to Sprint for recycling through Sprint Project Connect. All eligible material collected through Sprint Project Connect is kept out of the waste stream. None of it enters landfills or waste incinerators.

• What happens to my equipment when I recycle it with Sprint Project Connect?

  Phones and other equipment (e.g., batteries, data cards, femtocells, and routers) are tested and sorted according to their condition. Most are functional and in demand. They're reconditioned or refurbished and sold for reuse. Non-functional or obsolete equipment, non-recoverable parts, accessories, packaging, and paper products are recycled for base materials. Those materials, which include precious metals, plastics, and paper, are given a second life. They're used to manufacture a wide variety of new products ranging from jewelry and electronics to automotive parts and battery packs.

• A lot of companies say they're recycling responsibly. How do I know Sprint is?

  All of Sprint's recycling vendors are contractually obligated to follow Sprint's Zer0 e-Waste policy (no dumping, landfilling or waste incineration). All reconditioning, refurbishing and recycling is conducted in facilities that are ISO-certified and comply with the Responsible Recycling (R2) Practices set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Sprint conducts audits of these operations to confirm compliance with these obligations.

• How committed is Sprint to wireless recycling?

  Since 2001, we've collected more than 16 million phones for wireless reuse and recycling through the Sprint Project Connect and Sprint Buyback programs. Sprint collections have grown at an average annual rate of 18% during the last five years. We also were the first in the industry to set a long-term measurable goal. By 2017, Sprint intends to be collecting nine phones for reuse and recycling for every 10 phones that we sell — a 90% collection rate.

• How does Sprint plan to achieve its 90% collection goal?

  Sprint's collection rate of phones for reuse and recycling was 34% in 2008. While this was up from a collection rate of 22% in 2007, it still leaves a gap of 56% to cover by 2017. The largest obstacle to wireless recycling today is lack of awareness. Most people are unaware that phones and other wireless equipment can be reused or recycled and what their local options are for recycling electronics. Sprint is committed to raising awareness. We'll continue to find new and innovative ways to spread the word and make wireless recycling even more convenient.

• How should I prepare my phone for recycling?

  To prepare your phone for recycling, it is important to take a few simple steps:

  • 1. Transfer service to a new device or deactivate service.
  • 2. Remove any user locks, or set the password to 0000.
  • 3. Erase all personal data (e.g. contacts, e-mail accounts, calendar entries, memos, notes, photos, music, emails, text messages, etc.) from the phone.
  • 4. Discharge the battery, so the phone cannot be turned on.
  • 5. Leave the battery attached to the phone when shipping. If your shipment includes loose phone batteries, please place tape over the terminal ends.

• How can I save the contacts on my phone before recycling it?

  Most local Sprint retail stores have the ability to transfer contacts from one phone to another. Additionally, Sprint recommends a few other backup options for customers who still have service on the phone that will be recycled. Most Sprint CDMA phones support Wireless Backup that you can subscribe to directly from the phone. A few Sprint phones, including the Samsung Instinct, support a new free product called Sprint Mobile Sync. For Nextel Direct Connect iDEN phones, you may sign up for MyNextel Address Book. Another option, if you've replaced your old Nextel Direct Connect iDEN phone with a new one, is simply transferring the SIM card from the old phone to the new one.

• How can I save the photos on my phone before recycling it?

  For Sprint CDMA customers who still have service on the phone that will be recycled, we recommend Sprint Picture Mail. With this web site it's easy to store and manage all your digital pictures in one location, including ones you don't take with your phone. Another option is to save your photos on a removable memory card. Check your user manual or the manufacturer's web site to determine the type of card that's compatible with your phone.

• What about erasing the personal data from my cell phone?

  Sprint's recycling vendors are instructed to erase all user data (e.g. contacts, calendar entries, memos, notes, photos, music, emails, text messages, etc.) from phones collected through Sprint Project Connect if the phones will be refurbished and resold. Personal data on phones that are not refurbished and resold is destroyed through the recycling process as the phones are dismantled and reduced to their base materials like plastics and metals. As with any matter involving privacy, it's best to be precautious. If you have any concerns, Sprint strongly recommends that you erase all personal data from the phone before submitting it for recycling. You should also delete any personal or work e-mail accounts from the phone. This is especially important for PDAs and other smart phones. Sprint recommends that you consult the owner's manual for your phone or the manufacturer's web site for instructions on how to remove the data on your device. Another free resource that you may find helpful is the Data Eraser available online through ReCellular.

• What if I want to recycle more than I can fit in the envelope?

  We recommend using a pre-paid shipping label. You can print them for free from the Sprint Interactive Center (touch screen) in Sprint-owned stores or online right now by clicking here

• Do you offer shipping to collect equipment outside the U.S.?

  Not at this time.

• Are there any terms and conditions that apply to the program?

  By recycling with Sprint Project Connect, you agree to release Sprint Communications Company, L.P., the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the NEA Health Information Network, and other 4NetSafety partners (and their officers, members, directors, shareholders, affiliates, employees, agents and representatives) from any and all claims, loss, or liability related to the items that you recycled.

• What are the program's 'net proceeds'?

  Sprint Project Connect generates funding by selling the equipment collected for reuse or recycling. 'Net proceeds' are defined as the program's total revenue minus operational and promotional expenses (e.g., the cost of printing recycling envelopes; postage for envelopes returned with equipment; vendor fees for receiving equipment, removing personal data from phones, and refurbishing, reselling or recycling them; materials for promoting the program and educating the public on its benefits; etc.). Click here to see a breakdown of the program's revenue, expenses, and net proceeds for last year.

• Will I receive a tax receipt for recycling with Sprint Project Connect?

  Your contribution is not tax deductible. However, it provides two important benefits: 1) You're protecting the environment through recycling; and, 2) all of the net proceeds from Sprint Project Connect are used to fund and promote online safety for kids.

• Will Sprint buy back my phone?

  Yes, although conditions apply. If you're a Sprint customer and have eligible Sprint and Nextel phones, the Sprint Buyback program will give you an account credit for them. Customers received a credit of nearly $100 for an average transaction in 2008. Click here to check your eligibility. To get started, just enter the account number that appears on your monthly Sprint billing statement.

• Where can I learn more about the free resources funded by Sprint Project Connect?

  Check out the 4NetSafety web site. It's a great destination for resources and information to help kids make safer, more informed decisions when using technology to communicate with others.

• Why did Sprint choose to benefit Internet safety for kids?

  The Internet is an amazing resource, but there are potential risks for kids online. When teens and pre-teens use computers and wireless phones to connect with others, they're likely to encounter situations that require sound judgment and the ability to make safe, informed decisions. For example, studies have found:

  • One-third of teens surveyed say they are considering meeting face-to-face with someone they've met from the Internet, and 14% say they've already had such an encounter. ¹
  • One-third of teens (ages 12-17) and one-sixth of children (ages 6-11) surveyed have had mean, threatening or embarrassing things said about them online. ²

  Sprint is committed to providing resources for kids, educators, parents and guardians - resources that help young people to make smart, safer decisions online.

  
  ¹ Teenage Research Unlimited. Teen Internet Safety Survey. Sponsored by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and Cox Communications. March 2006.
  ² Opinion Research Corporation. Cyber Bully Teen and Cyber Bully Pre-teen surveys. Sponsored by Fight Crime: Invest in Kids. July 6, 2006

• How can I help to promote Sprint Project Connect?

  Sprint has a free kit of marketing and collection materials that you or your organization can use to promote wireless recycling through Sprint Project Connect. If you're interested, just email your request to projectconnect@sprint.com. Use the subject heading "SPC Promo Kit".