Sustainable Packaging Efforts

Sprint is committed to being a leader in driving sustainable packaging practices within the U.S. wireless industry. When Sprint announced its vision for environmentally responsible devices, sustainable packaging was a key component, and guidance was provided to all device manufacturers in December 2009 in the Environmental Specifications Document. In June 2011, Sprint formally developed a cross-functional Sustainable Packaging Working Committee to continue driving improvements.

The team is committed to increasing the social, ethical and environmental accountability of Sprint’s postpaid and prepaid device and accessory packaging and is comprised of members from Product Development & Logistics, Marketing — Product Communications and Print Strategy & Production Services, Corporate Responsibility, and Sprint's packaging design vendor. Its mission is to increase customer awareness of the benefits associated with Sprint’s eco-friendly packaging, enhance the environmental sustainability in Sprint’s packaging and operational processes, and publish the measurable results of the company’s efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Here’s how that type of thoughtful design and choices in production have enabled Sprint to significantly reduce the environmental impact of its packaging since 2008:

• 60% reduction in package volume

- Developed standard sizes, adopted right-sizing for all Sprint packaging

• 70% reduction in literature pack weight

- Reduced device education materials and moved them to the device or online

• 50% reduction in package material weight

- Decreased box sizes and weights, reduced ink coverage, removed laminates

• 30% minimum post-consumer fiber content

- Required in all Sprint packaging

Sprint has also used innovative materials and processes to reduce the use of toxins in its packaging:

• Unbleached kraft substrate

- Fewer toxic chemicals from paper milling to end-of-life recycling

- Usage helps create greater market demand for lower-impact paper

- Graphics developed to work with natural kraft paper

• Vegetable-based ink with low VOC emissions

- Moving to vegetable-based ink reduces reliance on petroleum

• Aqueous, water-based coatings

- Switched from unrecyclable, plastic laminate to aqueous coatings

• Low impact adhesives

- Reduced the use of toxic chemicals in packaging production

• 100% recyclable packaging

- Since 2009, Sprint device and accessory packaging has been 100% recyclable

Sustainability in Action: Accessory Packaging

Sprint has a greater degree of control over accessory packaging than for device packaging and took advantage of the opportunity to improve sustainability and reduce costs. In October 2009, Sprint announced a complete overhaul of our accessory packaging to be more environmentally responsible, eliminating PVC, using FSC-certified paper stock, vegetable-based inks and ensured all packaging is fully recyclable. This effort saves an estimated 647 tons of waste and $2.1M in accessory packaging costs annually.

Highlights include:

• Overall packaging dimensions reduced by 20 to 40 percent.
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) clamshell eliminated and replaced with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET 1), a more recyclable and eco-friendly material that also includes 30% recycled content.
• Soy and vegetable-based inks replace petroleum-based ink, exceeding the American Soybean Association Soy Seal Standards and reducing the level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Paperboard is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified — ensuring that the paper travels from an FSC-certified forest to a paper manufacturer, merchant and printer, all of whom have FSC “chain-of-custody” certification. The process promotes conservation and responsible management of forests. The paperboard includes 40% pre-consumer material and 10% post-consumer material.

Sustainability in Action: Prepaid Packaging

In early 2011, Sprint upgraded the packaging for its Virgin Mobile USA and payLo brands making it more environmentally responsible, attractive and accessible to its customers. In April 2012 Sprint’s Boost Mobile brand followed using the same design. Together this move saves more than 510 metric tons of packaging waste annually.

The previous design for these brands incorporated two plastic clamshells that provided excellent protection for devices and accessories, but were difficult for consumers to open and according to focus groups, didn’t seem appropriate for a premium product. The new design eliminates the outer plastic clamshell and replaces it with a paperboard material. The paperboard is free of elemental chlorine bleach. A pull-tab mechanism was added to the box to make is easy to open and also served as a tamper-proof seal. The inner clam shell was changed from PVC to 100% recycled waste plastic, called RPET. The RPET consists of a mix of industrial and post-consumer waste and is fully recyclable. The new packaging uses 50% less plastic than the previous design. In-box printed materials were also streamlined to reduce the paper waste.