Pacific Swell: Tagged 'sprint'

Los Angeles Clippers v Los Angeles Lakers

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The Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers have a game scheduled at Staples Center during NBA Green Week.

The National Basketball Association and new presenting partner Sprint kicked off NBA Green Week 2012 today with Commissioner David Stern hosting a cell phone recycling event in New York.

It’s the latest initiative in the NBA’s ongoing push for sustainable lifestyle changes. As we reported back in February, the Association presented a big recycling program in Orlando around this year’s All-Star Game. For Green Week, the Natural Resources Defense Council comes aboard to assist with a series of new promotions going nationwide as well as online.

Among the rollout is new Facebook application “Unlimited Acts of Green,” which checklists a series of simple ways users can make more environmentally positive decisions in everyday life. For their part, Sprint is ramping up the company's efforts to promote cell phone recycling online and with live events in three cities, including Los Angeles.

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While the idea of sustainable cell phones sounds like something of an oxymoron, communications giant Sprint is at least making moves in the right direction. As of January 1^st, the company is requiring that all devices go through the UL Environment certification process before hitting store shelves, the first mobile carrier to do so.

Sprint first partnered up with UL Environment last year to produce the Samsung Replenish, the first phone to receive environmental certification.

“We applaud Sprint for helping to lead the wireless phone industry down a path of increased environmental responsibility and sustainability,” said Stephen Wenc, president of UL Environment, in a press release. “Sprint’s decision to set a goal of having UL Environment certification for all of its mobile phones highlights their commitment to innovation and environmental stewardship.”