Sprint goes green with eco-friendly handset, apps

Sprint announced it will launch the Samsung Reclaim--a handset constructed from eco-friendly bio-plastic materials--on Aug. 16, adding the device will boast a series of environmentally themed applications. Made from 80 percent recyclable materials, the Samsung Reclaim messaging phone is free of polyvinyl chloride phthalates and nearly free of brominated flame retardants, materials commonly targeted on green electronics guidelines--the outer packaging and phone tray are made from 70 percent recycled materials, the box's images and text and the warranty information are printed with soy-based ink, and the paper manual has been replaced with virtual manual accessible online. In addition, Sprint will donate $2 of all Reclaim proceeds to the Nature Conservancy's Adopt an Acre program, which supports land conservation across the U.S.

The Samsung Reclaim boasts customizable One Click user interface, which promises quick access to social networks including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube--the phone will add a new green One Click tile to eco-themed applications like the Discovery Channel's Five Simple Steps, Green Guides and Green Glossary as well as All Things Green, a Sprint Web category featuring green headlines and links to downloadable content. Tied to the Reclaim's launch, Sprint said it will establish a set of environmental design criteria for future devices and accessories, implementing new environmentally-responsible retail initiatives and committing to reducing paper usage by 30 percent over the next five years.

For more on the Samsung Reclaim:
- read this release

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